Scrap idle, disorderly law-Etima

By Eric Lakidi JOSEPH Etima, the commissioner general of prisons, has said the law of "idle and disorderly" conduct should be scrapped because it is an economic burden to the state. Etima said on Monday that the law was an unnecessary expense to the government and prison authority as well the tax payers. "It has also created congestion in most prison stations," he said. "These laws should be scrapped since the government lacks financial resources to feed and treat the inmates while in prisons. The existance of such laws has also created poor living conditions and has had a negative impact on the prison personnel," Etima said. He was speaking at a one-week training workshop for senior prisons officers from Tanzania and Uganda as well as human rights activists at Colline Hotel, Mukono. Etima cautioned prisons officers against harassing and beating prisoners while serving their sentences. "Prisoners having committed crimes should be respected and their while they are serving their sentences. "Prisoners have committed crimes but should be respected and their rights observed," he said. Mr. Hans Andersson, the Swedish ambassador while opening the workshop, advised participants to take the training course seriously. "Prisoners constitute a very vulnerable group of citizens. They are marginalised people without any status in the society and are often subjected to various kinds of abuse," he said. Andersson said lack of resources in the prison department had led to congestion and poor living conditions of prisoners. "This also means that the working condition of prison staff are very difficult, which contributes to the abuse of inmate's rights," he said. He said the Swedish government knew of the appalling conditions of female prisoners and frequent abuse of their rights. "It is difficult to accept that innocent children are in jail," he said. Sometimes for several years, only because their mothers have been sentenced," he said. Ends.