![A female inmate sits in the prison yard at Juba's central prison in South Sudan on Oct. 23, 2012. [Photo by AFP via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/S.-Sudan_155094219-700x420-1.jpg?resize=850%2C510&quality=89&ssl=1)
William Othwonh, Chairperson of the Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs made the announcement while presenting a report on the situation of detention facilities in Juba during a plenary session.
He said thousands more are detained in police cells in Juba awaiting prosecution.
“The delay of trials and lack of renewal of detention warrants by the prosecutors have led to the accumulation of over 1,631 remanded prisoners in Juba National Prison waiting for trials, and thousands in the custodies awaiting prosecution,” he said.
On May 24, 2024, the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights paid a surprise visit to various prison facilities in Juba to assess the situation of inmates.
Othwonh described the cells as “extremely very dirty” and not healthy for inmates. He said the overcrowding at Juba Central Prison forced inmates to sleep seated or in shifts.
“Overcrowding is one of the main challenges facing Juba National Prison. The capacity of the prison facility was meant for only 500 inmates,” he said.
“But due to the increase in crimes in Juba city and since Juba prison is the only prison facility that exists in Juba town, it is now accommodating over 6,626 inmates, which is beyond its capacity,” he added.
He said over 200 inmates sentenced for death penalties are awaiting prosecution. He also said the main prison faces inadequate supply of drugs for both inmates and staff, adding that people with mental disorders are accommodated in the main cell.
Oliver Mori Benjamin, Chairperson of the Information Committee, said the report indicated that the situation of inmates at detention facilities was “very awful.”
“These were the places the committee went and visited and found that adults were being mixed together with the young children, they shared the same room. There is no medical attendance to people detained in Juba prison,” Mori said.
how can “200 inmates sentenced for death penalties are awaiting prosecution. ” work?
sentence follows prosecution and verdict.
you can judge the state of a nation by how it treats its most vulnerable people.