The UN Committee Against Torture (CAT) has put forth a series of recommendations aimed at enhancing the prison conditions in Cameroon.
These suggestions address various critical aspects that require immediate attention from the Cameroonian authorities.
One key area of concern highlighted by the committee is the substandard material
conditions prevalent in many of the country's prisons. Issues such as poor sanitation, lack of adequate ventilation, insufficient food and water supplies in terms of both
quality and quantity, as well as the absence of recreational and educational activities
for inmates, have been underscored. Furthermore, access to quality healthcare
services has been flagged as severely limited, posing a significant risk to the wellbeing of prisoners.
The committee has emphasized the urgent need to address the problem of overcrowding in prisons. It calls upon authorities to ensure that pre-trial detention is utilized sparingly and for limited durations, considering that the current prison population stands at around 30,000 individuals, far exceeding the official capacity of 9,000.
Moreover, the CAT document stresses the importance of improving conditions for detainees with disabilities and advocates for better healthcare access, as well as an increase in the number of trained prison staff members.
A crucial aspect of the recommendations is the allocation of adequate resources to guarantee proper medical and sanitary care for inmates, including mental health services. The committee has highlighted the systemic challenges facing Cameroon's penal system, emphasizing the paramount importance of humane treatment and the
protection of prisoners' fundamental rights.
While expressing support for ongoing initiatives aimed at ameliorating prison conditions, the UN committee maintains that further efforts are required to address the persisting issues effectively.
These recommendations follow the government's recent initiatives to create
additional prison spaces to alleviate overcrowding.
Notably, new prisons have been established, including two facilities in Douala to alleviate congestion at New Bell Prison, as well as a new facility in Limbe to ease the burden on Buea prison in the South West Region.
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