Ombudsman unearths ‘deplorable’ prison conditions

A report issued by the Ombudsman’s office has highlighted the poor conditions thousands of prisoners endure, including alleged abuse at the hands of prison officials.

Most abuse claims are allegedly ignored by prison authorities, who are inclined to believe they are fabricated, it said.

“Inmates narrated that they are denied the opportunity to open cases against police officers and members of the reserve force who allegedly assault them,” the newly-released 2021 annual report revealed.

There were further allegations of inmates being assaulted and not being taken for medical treatment on time, which officials blamed on limited manpower.

Prisoners also claim that the justice system continues to keep them behind bars unfairly due to long delays in bail applications and being unable to afford bail.

“Suspects complained about their toothbrushes, which are cut extremely short to the point where they are unusable. The station commander informed us [investigators] that this was a safety measure as some suspects use their toothbrushes as weapons,” the report stated.

Dozens of complaints

According to the report, detainees rattled off dozens of complaints about their current residence, with many describing the facilities as inhabitable because the cells and kitchen facilities are extremely dirty and the lights do not work, while at other facilities, sewage was found flowing into the holding cells due to blocked sewers.

Inmates said their efforts to clean their cells are derailed because their requests for cleaning products fall on deaf ears.

Food was also a major concern, with investigators having found that there were food shortages at some facilities, with inmates complaining that the food they received was not sufficient nor was it cooked properly.

At Oshikango Police Station, “there is no cook or institutional worker," the report read, adding that "inmates have to prepare their own food”.

Meanwhile, overcrowded cells continue to haunt the country’s prison system. Eenhana Police Station, for instance, has a total capacity of 60 inmates but investigators found 156 inmates cramped into the facility.

Some inmates at the coast also complained that they do not receive sufficient blankets to protect them from the cold weather.

Stats don’t lie

The Ombudsman’s office reported that out of the 2 880 complaints it received during the 2021/2022 financial year, 84% were resolved.

The majority of the complaints came from the Khomas Region (784), followed by Erongo (390) and Oshana (305).

The fewest complaints came from Kavango West, while 12 complaints were also received from outside Namibia.

The report further showed that men filed the most complaints with 1 944, while women filed 805. About 128 group complaints were received, and 13 complaints came from unknown persons.

A breakdown of the complaints showed that the majority (21%) were against the conduct of an institution or a ministry, followed by complaints against police conduct or failure to act (15%), while employment matters tied with disputes involving a private person or institution and requests for information at 8%.

Looking at government ministries, institutions and office agencies, the police received the most complaints against them with 579, followed by the judiciary at 280 and the correctional services at 269.

Most of the complaints were made in person (1 175), followed by written complaints (793), telephonic complaints (640) and 325 at complaint intake clinics.