By: BintaJaiteh
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights and Constitutional Matters on Monday presented a report of their visit to detention centers across the country in September 2022.
Speaking during the presentation of the report by the committee’s Vice-chairperson, Suwaibou Touray, said the Standing Committee on Human Rights and Constitutional Matters, in the execution of their oversight mandate, embarked on a tour to examine the conditions of detention centers and Prisons in the country.
“This tour, marking the first on-field engagement with stakeholders and institutions by the Committee in the Sixth Legislature, followed the first rollout by the previous Committee.
“It could be recalled that Phase 1 of the tour targeted major detention centers in Banjul, Kanifing Municipality, and the West Coast Region. The second visit covered facilities in the North Bank Region, Central River Region North and South, Upper River Region, and some parts of the West Coast Region, targeting detention centers and the only prison centers beyond the Greater Banjul Area (Janjanbureh Prisons).”
Touray noted that the Committee observed several anomalies concerning the abhorrent conditions of the facilities, adding that most of the Police Stations visited had cells that were inhabitable due to poor ventilation, unhygienic, and broken water pipes.
“Poor ventilation was particularly noted in most of the stations; especially in Farafenni and Basse Police Stations. However, there were few facilities with improved holding cells such as Kaur and Bansang Police Stations,” he stated.
He further stated that the absence of prisoner diets in most of the facilities visited was also noted. In these facilities, prison officers contribute to catering for themselves and feeding the detainees.
Additionally, there were also violations of prisoners’ access to justice rights. In Janjanbureh and Mile II Prisons, the Committee heard from inmates who complained of going to courts for over six years without a verdict.
He posited that Barra Police Station was the first station visited by the Committee in the second rollout. It is the headquarters of the Lower North Bank Region Police Division. The status of Human Rights compliance that the station registered some degree of success in observing certain human rights practices.
However, he said the Committee learned that the issue of detention more than seventy-two hours without bail still exists poor sanitary facilities are shared by the officers in the station and the detainees.
Moreover, rations are not provided for the feeding of detainees. Presently, officers in the station contribute to their feeding and that of the detainees. They face challenges like mobility constraints to conduct patrols, affect arrests, and transport suspects to courts.
He concluded that Amdalai Police Station is situated in the Lower Nuimi District, “this station is at the border of the Gambia, which is the first stop when entering the Gambia. The status of Human rights compliance that the station registered some degree of success in observing certain human rights practices concerning the handling of offenders under their care and the way they handle the cases of non-Gambians.
“The Facility faces challenges of Mobility and fuel constraints, the situation of commercial centers between the station and the border, making it impossible for police to smoothly check movements at entry points. The committee observed the existence of detention cells, including one for juveniles, and that the joint-border patrol should be strengthened,” he reiterated
