Lagos — A Non-Governmental Organisation, Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), has alerted the nation over the congestion of prisons and deteriorating condition of prison inmates in the country, just as it appealed to corporate organisations, Non-governmental organisations, Churches and individuals to assist government in improving the conditions of prisons in the country.

Addressing newsmen during the presentation of drugs worth N100,000.00 by Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals, to prisons in Lagos State at Prisons Head-Quarters, Alagbon, Lagos, the Prison Project Officer of CLO, Imade Edah, complained that Kirikiri medium prison, made for 704 inmates is being occupied by 1,800 inmates, Ikoyi prison with a capacity for 800 prisoners is now housing 1,600 inmates while Port Harcourt prison is occupied by 1,800 inmates instead of the official 304 of which it was created for.

Edah said that 80 per cent of the inmates' are awaiting trial and had been in prison custody for periods ranging from two to 13 years, adding that a larger percentage are indigent persons who cannot afford the services of lawyers.

The Prison Project Officer equally observed that the health conditions of the inmates fell short of the minimum standard provided for by the United Nations, as congestion in the prisons has led to the prevalence of chicken pox, rashes, eczema, scabies, measles and tuberculosis among others.

She pointed out that the group's observations during the tour of prisons all over the country showed that in this modern world, virtually all the prisons were the country used bucket system of latrines, stressing that although all the clinics in the prison all manned by doctors, nurses, pharmacist and other categories of health workers, the clinics are suffering from shortage of drugs and medical supplies. The CLO Official blamed members of the society and policy makers for failing to act on the poor condition of the inmates, because they are prisoners and so deserve to suffer, adding that such non-chalant attitude will definitely affect the society in future as the inmates will come back from prisons as hardened criminals and seek vengeance on the society.