Civil society leader urges government to address overcrowding with timely trials

JUBA – A South Sudanese human rights activist has called on the government to expedite trials to address severe overcrowding in prisons nationwide.

Ter Manyang Gatwech, Executive Director of the Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA), urged authorities to prioritize timely legal proceedings to alleviate the burden on detention facilities.

“As a human rights activist, I call on the government of South Sudan to ensure timely trials for pending cases, which would help free up space in prisons or accommodate new inmates,” Gatwech told Sudans Post on Friday.

He emphasized that delays in the judicial process exacerbate overcrowding and called on the Office of Legal Counsel to expedite pending cases.

Gatwech’s remarks came after Interior Minister Angelina Teny, accompanied by Deputy Minister Mangar Buong, visited Juba National Prison on Thursday to assess conditions and challenges faced by inmates.

Their visit highlighted significant issues, including overcrowding, poor living conditions, and inadequate resources.

Originally designed to house 250 to 400 inmates, Juba National Prison is now critically overcrowded, with 2,798 prisoners.

The prison population includes 668 convicted individuals, 218 condemned prisoners, 1,553 remanded detainees, 96 convicted juveniles, 233 remanded juveniles, and 30 mentally ill women, some accompanied by children. Additionally, there are 22 foreign nationals among the inmates.

The government has yet to outline specific measures to address the crisis but calls for reform are growing amid mounting concerns over prison conditions and human rights.