Fresh push for prison reforms in Bahrain
Manama, May 29, 2014
Tackling overcrowding at Bahrain's main prison, providing proper medical care for inmates and stopping illicit drugs from being smuggled into detention centres were highlighted in a major report.
They were among nine recommendations made by the Interior Ministry's Ombudsman Office in its first annual report, which was released yesterday, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.
The report has been presented to Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, who has directed a committee to be formed to review and study the recommendations.
The recommendations were:
1. Every police officer should have their personal identification number clearly displayed on their uniform to ensure they can be easily identified by members of the public and detainees.
2. Arrangements should be made for every police vehicle to have its unique identification number prominently displayed.
3. With immediate effect, the Dry Dock Detention Centre administration should assume full responsibility for transporting detainees to hospitals for appointments or when medical treatment is required. They should cease the practice of requesting assistance of community police.
4. An urgent review into stopping illicit substances or non-prescribed medications from entering prisons should be completed.
5. Number of doctors, nurses and medical support staff in the Correction and Rehabilitation Centre (Jaw Prison) and Dry Dock Detention Centre clinic facilities in Hidd should be increased.
6. Efforts to provide training for all prison and detention facility staff, and other Interior Ministry staff.
7. Urgent action should be taken to address the serious problem of overcrowding at Jaw Prison.
8. Speed up work to install surveillance cameras in all buildings, corridors and wards in every prison and detention centre.
9. All of the recommendations documented in the Ombudsman report on the visit to Jaw Prison, published in September last year, should be fully implemented. - TradeArabia News Service
