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Rough Justice – Conditions at Port Harcourt Maximum Prison

Maximum Prison is a multi-purpose prison and the largest in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, Nigeria. Originally the prison was built to house 804 inmates but today houses upwards of 2500 people including women and minors.

The prison has several blocks of old structures, all built in 1918 by the British Colonial rulers, which serve as cells, infirmary, workshops and offices for the officials.

It also has gallows which qualifies it to retain condemned criminals. These very gallows were used in hanging Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight of his Ogoni kinsmen in 1995 for their part in organising resistance to Shell's operations in the Delta.

Although some of the inmates have been condemned to death or convicted of terrible crimes most of the 2500 inmates are in limbo awaiting trail. Reports state that over 90 percent of these have yet to face any trail for their alleged crimes.

SDN is working with and supporting the Justice, Development and Peace/Caritas Commission (JDPCC) who are helping prisoners get access to medical attention, working to improve conditions and rehabilitate inmates on their release.

Since last year JDPCC helped repair the bore-hole and generator at Degema Prison and has provided food at Easter and Christmas for the inmates of Maximum Prison. Discharged prisoners come to JDPCC each day for help and advice, many needing financial help to allow them to get home to their families.

According to released inmates, conditions inside the prison walls are nightmarish. Serious overcrowding coupled with a serious lack of resources means inmates sleep in filthy conditions amongst their own faeces, making do with cardboard boxes or rags for beds; “Once you are dumped into any cell, you have to sort yourself out,” one said.

Inmates tell of having to pay to be allowed to take a bath or to even leave their cell at all; “You don’t come out of the cell for any thing except you pay money. And the number of minutes you will spend, as well as when to come out depends on how much you pay.” Bribes from the inmates or their visiting relatives are said to be the only way to be allowed out of their cell, even for a short time.

Conditions in the prisons break the inmates not only in spirit, but also physically. And when they fall sick as a result of the dehumanizing conditions and food produced in filthy conditions, they do not receive the medical attention they need.

Bribery and corruption are rife amongst the prison staff, who endure poor working and living conditions and are stretched beyond any reasonable expectations. The prison's spokesman explains; “Most areas of the staff barracks are dilapidated. You know the staff, when they live fine, they sleep comfortably When you go back to work, you will be very cheerful. So the barrack, accommodation is not there. There are a lot of problems being faced by the staff which ought to be tackled.”

Even the Prison officials get concerned with the overcrowding and lack of resources. It is largely through their pleas that the State recently pardoned 250 or so inmates in order to relieve the pressure on the system, leaving the prison still at over 300% capacity. In January 2007 there was an increase in the meagre amount used to feed the prisoners each day, again largely due to pressure applied on the government from several quarters, including prison officials. This money however passes through contractors that take a hefty cut, according to one senior prison official.

The same official believes that something urgent needs to be done about the prison congestion problem and suggests building additional, modern prison facilities in Port Harcourt. He believes that the number of inmates will continue to rise as a result of continued crime related to unemployment and other socio-economic problems faced by Nigerians.

There are Standard Minimum Rules governing prisoner conditions in Nigeria which should be adhered to but these, like so many other laws and rules meant to protect the vulnerable and needy, are largely ignored by the government and management who are supposed to be acting on behalf of the people.