The conditions of our prison and detention centers, across the Gambia need an undivided attention by the authorities that matter, and in this case the government of the Gambia. There exist three main prisons and several other hundreds of cells where prisoners are detained here in the Gambia.
Many of the cells in the several police stations in the country are really not anywhere near desirability. In many terms, for an example in terms of the sanitary conditions, in terms of sizes of these police cells, in terms ventilations and in terms of the provision of food.
Many police officers have confirmed that only five dalasi was allocated to every detained prisoner at police stations as their food for a whole day. These amounts are too small, and inadequate to feed a person for a three square meals, whiles under police custody.
In most of these police cells, there were no enough toilet facility, some of the police stations have only one toilet facility and are never enough as there are more prisoners than the facility. In one of two of the cells at the police stations have only one toilet facility for both police officers and prisoners. The issue of congestion is manifested almost in all the police cells.
However with the numerous police cells we have in the country, and in some cases many of which do not have vehicle or vehicles to facilitate the movement of prisoners from one station to the courts or medical facilities in cases of medical needs, put the prisoners basic human rights unavailable.
The Gambia government needs to give an undivided attention to the above basic needs and welfare of the prisoners as many is really suffering. Accused persons whose rights of movement are restricted must be provided with basic needs such as food, health and accommodation by the captors as required by international standards.
The prisoners and their welfare should not only end at the police cells but equally at the three main prisons, namely Mile 2 , Jeshwang and Janjanbureh prisons.
