KUALA LUMPUR – Number of inmates in prisons and remand centres should be reduced to stem the spread of Covid-19 in those facilities, said Lawyers for Liberty.
Coordinator for the rights group Zaid Malek in a statement today said the government needs to follow similar actions taken by Indonesia and Turkey, ensuring those facilities are below maximum capacity for health SOPs to be effective.
“The crux of the problem that needs to be addressed is the overcrowding in our prisons. It has been reported that prison facilities are housing 73,000 inmates in spaces intended to only hold 52,000.
“Without significantly reducing the number of inmates in our prisons, any health SOP in place is likely to fail and the consequences may be catastrophic, affecting not only prisoners but also staff members and their families as well as the community at large.”
Health Ministry yesterday reported yet another highest daily count at 871 cases with 866 locally transmitted and five imported infections.
Zaid said the announcement by Prisons director-general on granting release on licence (ROL) to minor offenders is welcomed but there have been no reports of the number of inmates released under ROL.
He added the limited criterion of those eligible for ROL will not drastically reduce congestion in prisons and detention facilities that are still at risk of another Covid-19 cluster.
To-date, 186 Covid-19 cases have been detected at the Penang remand prison, Seberang Prai prison, and the Alor Star prison.– The Vibes, October 19, 2020
