Brenda Yufeh
27 August 2008
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There is an endemic overcrowding of prisons found in Cameroon. The number of inmates found in different prisons in Cameroon triples the original capacity of these prisons. There is the absence of rehabilitation in these prisons and the probation facilities of most prisoners are far-fetched. These old and obsolete infrastructure and equipment, mostly inherited from the colonial era, as well as the tightness of detention cells are some of the major problems in prisons that can not be over looked by the government.
It is absurd to note that a structure that was built in the 1930s has never been rehabilitated. This is the situation of the Douala Central Prison situated at the New Bell neighbourhood. The Superintendent of the Douala Prison, Joseph Tsala Amongou, says the prison has serious infrastructure problems. The walls have visible cracks, electrical and water appliances are out of use. Initially intended for only 700 inmates, the Douala Prison is now home to some 3000 inmates, most of whom are awaiting trial. The overcrowded nature of the prison has given rise to incidence of violence, promiscuity and the use of drugs.
The situation of the Douala Central Prison is not different from other prisons found in the country such as the Yaounde Central Prison, located at the Kondengui neighbourhood. Constructed in 1967, the Yaounde Central Prison was meant to host up to 1000 inmates. But today, Francis Nkemanda Lebule, Registrar of the Yaounde Central Prison, says the prison is overcrowded with some 4,410 detainees. "The number of detainees in the prison is four times more than the normal capacity", Francis Nkemanda lamented. Amongst the 4,410 inmates at the Yaounde Central Prison, less than 1,000 inmates have received their final judgement while some 3,000 are still awaiting trail. This creates a serious accommodation problem for several inmates as some of them are exposed to homosexuality and other vices.
Although there have been some repairs and rehabilitation works carried out in some quarters at the Kondengui prison by the government and some NGOs, the prison registrar says much is still to be done especially as the toilet systems have been blocked and out of use, exposing inmates to several environmental risks. The prison has logistics problems as it has only one old truck which is used for transporting prisoners to five different courts in town as well as carryout other chores.
The prison does not have a peripheral wall. Francis Nkemanda explains that the peripheral wall is that wall which will prevent an inmate from easily escaping. Because there is no such wall, the registrar says people can easily throw in dangerous items which can be used by prisoners in an attempt to escape or harm each other. These are some of the things that make some of the inmates to want to escape and gain their freedom.
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