Prisoners register for the national census

By Petride Mudoola

Unlike the national identification exercise where prisoners were not considered, inmates across the country were permitted to take part in the national population exercise which kicked off Monday.

“Country wide the process is going on very smoothly within the 239 prison units. We have not had any big challenges and we hope to finish the program according to the prescribed time,” Frank Baine the prison’s publicist told New Vision.

According to Baine, Uganda Prison Services is made up of 15 regions with 239 prison units.

“Different form outside, the population census in prison begun at 5.00am  to ensure that those meant to attend court proceedings  do not miss out.  By press time, the figure had gone beyond   60 percent registration,” Baine said.

Besides those in jail, Prisons department refers sick inmates to national referral hospitals for proper management.
Baine said the census exercise will include prisoners who are hospitalized.

He noted that the exercise begun with inmates and will be followed by the staff as soon as they are done with the prisoners.

Uganda Prison Services’ estimated prison population stands at 40,000 inmates of which Luzira Maximum Security Prison has the biggest number of 6,308 inmates. 

Upper prison accommodates 3373 prisoners, 1495 are in Murchison Bay prison, and Kampala Remand prison has 1040 inmates while the Women’s prison accommodates 400 prisoners plus 28 children.

Baine noted that since the population exercise is different from the national identification process, prison’s department will be counting them as prisoners because the two exercises are not the same.
  
According to Baine, for mass enrollment, the physical features are required yet the details required on the national identification are very different from the ones on the national census.

Asked why the prisoners were not considered for the national identification exercise yet majority are Uganda citizens, Baine responded that the national identification exercise is an ongoing process it doesn’t matter even when  you get out of prison 20 or 30 years one  will be registered.

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