Uganda Prison Services is as well very prepared to handle any case of Coronavirus disease COVID-19 outbreak in case it happens in prisons
Frank Baine, the Spokesperson Uganda Prison Services and the Commissioner of Prisons in an interview with NBS Television said the institution is very prepared and is continuing to prepare for any eventuality of Coronavirus disease that may occur in the prisons.
“We have five centres that we have put in place to mitigate any outbreak to admit those inmates that may require admission if they are identified or tested and found to be not only positive but necessities admission and in addition to Kitalya which is an HDC or High Dependence Centre, we have other four centres, we have a newly established centre of Sheema for the South Western Region, we have Kyenjojo for the Western Region, we have Nyoya for Northern Region and we have Soroti for the Eastern Region,” Baine said.
However, Baine says any the main referral hospital for novel coronavirus victims will be Kitalya Mini-Max Prison.
Speaking about decongesting prisons in Uganda by releasing inmates with petty crimes to prevent the spread of Coronavirus disease COVID-19, Baine says it’s decided by the prerogative of Mercy Committee who advises the President to provide a presidential pardon for all those that are convicted and any other categories of prisoners that qualify for a pardon.
“The question of pardon entirely lies in the hands of the President on the advice of the Prerogative of Mercy Committee, not Uganda Prison Service. So, we are not able to do that.”
“As I have already established the centres we have can comfortably accommodate up to 5,000 inmates without any stress. Well, it would be compassionate for the president to conduct pardon, but as far as we are concerned I want to assure the public that we are ready and firm that we shall manage the crisis as it emerges, Baine added.
Baine says the prison team is very conscious, the Commissioner-General has reinstated standby class one and every movement of the staff and the inmate is very closely monitored and observed to make sure that they don’t give any chance to the virus.
And in case of any Coronavirus disease COVID-19 outbreak, they are ready to handle as far as Uganda Prison Services is concerned.
A few days ago, 3 inmates were shot dead as they tried to escape from Arua government prisons in fear of coronavirus, clarifying on the matter Baine says in their training they are not directed to kill, but to disable the escapee but in unfortunates cases, it happens.
He says there’s no reason whatsoever why they would want to shoot dead anyone under their custody.
“Well our training is not to shoot to kill but to disable, and in case there’s a problem were are human beings and we observe the human rights, so we hope to have an understanding in whatever we are doing without having to go to the extreme,” Baine says.
Meanwhile, Baine said outside activities like farming and the likes previously conducted outside the prisons prescripts has been suspended to protect prisoners from contracting the deadly coronavirus.
“In the last administrative instruction given by the Commissioner General of Prisons, he put everybody on standby and the instruction is very clear that prisoners are supposed only to operate within the prisons prescripts. So, any officer in charge that risks taking prisoners outside the prisons prescripts takes responsibility and will be disciplined accordingly.”
