Rural lock-up to be built soon: Minister

By BRADLEY MARIORI
THE long-waited Mumeng rural lock-up or community correction centre (CCC) in Bulolo, Morobe, will soon be built with support funding from the National Planning Department.
This was announced by Correctional Services (CS) Minister Chris Nangoi during a visit to the proposed site on Friday.
He thanked National Planning Minister and Bulolo MP Sam Basil for directing funding support for the centre which would provide relief for the overcrowding experienced at Buimo jail.
Nangoi said overcrowding was experienced in jails throughout the country and the issue would be alleviated in a step by step approach.
Nangoi said Buimo was holding double its capacity and that was mainly due to the facility taking in additional remandees.
He said overcrowding was not good for prisons because it had associated health, hygiene and moral issues.
“The only way to get out of this is to reduce the number of prisoners and increase the number of staff,” he said.
“That is the only way to stop break outs and escapes.”
Nangoi said the CCC would be for low risk prisoners.