Plans by the current government to relocate the central Pademba Road Prison have been hit by financial bulwark.
This was disclosed by the deputy Internal Affairs minister Raymond Kabia, during an interview with Awoko over the weekend.
According to minister Kabia, “the government is not happy with the current status of the central prison especially its area of location,” and that the prison was built for a capacity not exceeding 300 prisoners but that, it was disheartening to note that it was now housing closed to 1,100 prisoners.
Conditions at the central prison are said to be deplorable. This was also confirmed by the deputy Internal Affairs minister who said, “government wants to ensure good prison conditions… government has a plan to address the problem of overcrowding. Female prisoners are normally sent to prison with their children in the case of those who are breastfeeding and this is unacceptable,” the deputy minister said.
He promised that once funds were available, “we would love to make more improvements in the prisons’ department by first moving its current location to some where preferably at Mafanta”.
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