South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Jenifer James
The Minister of Interior Angelina Teny, accompanied by Deputy Minister Mangar Buong, visited Juba National Prison on Thursday to assess the urgent challenges faced by inmates.
Their visit underscored concerns about overcrowding, inadequate living conditions, and insufficient resources within the facility.
Originally designed to accommodate between 250 and 400 inmates, Juba National Prison is now severely overcrowded, housing a total of 2,798 prisoners.
They include 668 convicted individuals, 218 condemned prisoners, 1,553 on remand, 96 convicted juveniles, 233 remand juveniles, and 30 mentally ill women with children. Additionally, there are 22 foreign nationals among the inmates.
During their address to the inmates on Thursday, Minister Angelina Teny assured them that the government is committed to resolving these issues.
“We are dedicated to collaborating with the Deputy Minister and the prison administration to tackle these challenges,” Angelina stated.
She emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring that all citizens adhere to the law and pledged to expedite the cases of those on remand.
Angelina outlined the government’s plan for prison reforms, which includes reducing overcrowding, enhancing resources, and ensuring humane treatment for all prisoners. “We will work with the prison administration to improve conditions here,” she added.
Deputy Minister Mangar Buong also spoke to the inmates, stressed that prisons should focus on rehabilitation rather than mere punishment.
“A prison is meant to help rehabilitate you, not just incarcerate you,” Buong stated.
He acknowledged the severity of the overcrowding as a big problem and suggested that inmates should be allowed to grow their own food to feed themselves and become self-sufficiency.
“We need to explore sustainable ways to address overcrowding and improve conditions,” Mangar said, urging cooperation between inmates and prison staff to foster a more productive and harmonious environment.
“We are listening to your complaints and will work to resolve the challenges you face,” Mangar assured them.
However, the Director of Juba National Prison, Major General Redento Tongun, painted a grim picture of the facility’s current state.
“The prison was established in 1952 to hold between 250 and 400 people, yet we are now housing nearly 2,800 inmates,” Redento stated.
He attributed the overcrowding partly to a sentencing policy that prioritizes imprisonment over alternative measures, as well as a growing backlog of remand cases.
Redento also highlighted critical shortages in food, water, and medical supplies.
“We are struggling to feed the inmates because contractors are not being paid on time, and our water supply is insufficient,” Redento noted, adding that the prison’s water tank holds only 5,000 liters, which is inadequate for the current population.
He pointed out that inmates with mental health conditions are not receiving proper care due to a lack of medications. “We are unable to provide the necessary treatment for mentally ill prisoners,” Redento explained.
