Prison conditions:
CONAKRY GUINEA
By James Emile GBALLET
Executive Director of Guinea CURE
The first and second world war will have effects on the decision to reexamine the question of human dignity.
The aim to reach is the respect, the protect and security of human being at any level in the life such as the family area , the administration area, or in prisons.
What do we notice in Guinea prisons ?
OVER POPULATION IN PRISONS
In Guinea as wherever on the continent problems of prisons areas are generally the same: over population due to over aged prisons.
The Conakry Central prison built in 1958 was destined to receive 400 prisoners but today, more of 1200 several prisoners live there.
The prison of Conakry, the biggest one, is not the same faced with such same difficulties.
DISEASES IN PRISONS
The full number of prisoners create all conditions for many diseases.
In September 2002, at Conakry central prison , cholera is increased with three hundred (300) cases, Tuberculosis continues creating many damages.
At the central prison as the other ones inside Guinea for instance N’Zerekoré , Labé … ,malaria and breathing infections are a lot.
The same thing for A.I.D.S (Acquired Immune Defiance Syndrome) goes on and cause many victims.
UNDERFOOD IN PRISONS
In the central prison as the other ones of Guinea, prisoners are underfed ; a meal by day and that meal about three rice spoons bad quality and a few oil on the rice .That brings a lack of vitamin for their health ; 350 cases in 2003.
CLEANLINESS AND HEALTH IN PRISONS
In all prisons in Guinea ,the prisoners are faced with problems of cleanliness. The prisons stink, disturbing the prisoners then cause problem of health. The Prisoners ²are not tended in prisons so they are not healthy at all.
EDUCATION IN PRISONS
In Guinea prisons ,there is no school program at primary level ,secondary level and highest level. There is no professional education or some lectures that could develop the ability of prisoners. That could make them responsible towards the social community.
THE JURIDICAL ASSISTANCE
The prisoners in prisons are forgotten to be judged so that they waste many times .They don’t their rights or their duty and they hope one day to be judged in vain. The last solution is escape from the prison.
THE RELAPSING
The Guinea’s prisons are not the areas to re socialize plenty of prisoners . Many are released and put again in prison for having committed an offence. They are not able to be well bred and become use full for the society. Because the problem of education has failed during the imprisonment.
Seven(7) out ten(10) prisoners relapse.
Conditions of imprisonment in Conakry Guinea are very difficult. It is one of Africa countries having many problems to satisfy people’s elementary needs.
PROPOSITION OF SOLUTION
In order to secure the respect of prisoners we are going to establish a cooperation with the penitentiary administration so as to improve the conditions of imprisonment.
Knowing that the situation will be step by step improved , we shall struggle reach the aim; putting prisoners in the best conditions.
We shall make prisoners carry on a trade so that to be responsible, useful in the society after releasing.
To build some new in order to reduce the great number of prisoners in old prisons in Guinea and to rehabilitate some of them in a bad state.
International CURE must sometime be present near by African CURE chapter. So that to prevent African governmental authorities from disturbing international rules of imprisonment.
The penitentiary administration will have educate penitentiary agents about how to respect the human rights of prisoners.
Man must respect the time of judgment of persons who come under the law. Don’t waste the time to judge somebody under the law in prison. Judging all prisoners beyond 10 years.
I THANK YOU
Thank you for this article.
I am trying to find out about my father’s movements in world war two. As a British merchant seaman, he was imprisoned in Conakry and Kindia in 1940/41 after his ship was torpedoed. He went back to Scotland on SS Sobieski arriving in Gourock on 10th Oct 1941. However I don’t have any information about how long he was a prisoner or the name of the ship which was torpedoed. I would really appreciate any information you may have. With many thanks, Jean Douglas-Laird