JEDDAH, 10 November 2004 — Saudi Arabia’s human rights watchdog has found prisons overcrowded and convicted felons jammed into the same cells that hold people awaiting trial.

The chairman of the inspection and follow-up committee of the National Society for Human Rights, Dr. Rashid Al-Mubarak, announced the committee has completed its investigation of prison conditions and is in the process of finalizing the report, which will be presented to the Interior Ministry next month.

Dr. Al-Rashid said in general the prison conditions were good and better than what they expected, though they observed certain deficiencies. The positive aspects included adequate food, cleaning, furniture and training and education programs.

“The report will be presented to the ministry and included in the society’s annual report to the United Nations in January,” said Abdullah Abulsamh, a senior member of the board of directors. He was among those who visited the men’s prisons in the Western Region.

A group of female members also visited the women’s prisons and prepared their report.

“The reports from all the regions are being compiled in one report by the inspection and follow-up committee at the society’s headquarters in Riyadh and should be out within two weeks,” Abulsamh told Arab News.

The most significant problem they noted in all the prisons is overcrowding. “It is inhuman the way the inmates are cramped in their cells,” he said.

Each cell is holding three times its intended capacity, according to Abulsamh. The reason for this overcrowding in his opinion is the imprisonment of foreigners.

“The overwhelming majority of the inmates — about 80 percent in fact — are non-Saudi. Some have already been tried and convicted while others are awaiting trial. Most of them are being held for petty violations and misdemeanors,” Abulsamh said.

“Why are they imprisoned here? Why aren’t they deported to their countries and put on a black list to prevent them from entering again?” he asked.

Another reason for the overcrowding is that trials take a long time, and court proceedings are extremely slow. “There is mismanagement of trials due to delays by judges over missing forms or bureaucratic procedures.

As a result of the delays and postponements, people awaiting trial are held with convicted felons,” said Abulsamh.

He suggests having separate prisons for those awaiting trial and those convicted. He said there is a project to build a large prison for convicts in Dhahban, an area far outside Jeddah, and keep Breman Prison for those awaiting trial.

Experts and researchers into prison affairs agree that non-Saudi prisoners should be sent back to their home countries as soon as a sentence involving flogging has been passed.

They found Breman Prison to be the worst prison in the region. In Riyadh, Abulsamh said it is Al-Hair, which witnessed some fire disasters back in April of 2004 and September of 2003.

In April, 13 people, including prison officials, were injured after a fire broke out in Al-Hair Prison, which has some 3,500 inmates. It also was the scene of a major fire in September last year, which killed 68 inmates. As a result, the Interior Ministry sacked the director of prisons in the Riyadh Region and the chief of Al-Hair Prison.

In addition to contagious diseases that spread among the inmates due to overcrowding, there are also financial aspects of incarcerating so many prisoners.

“According to a study by the Shoura Council, a prisoner costs the government SR150,000 per year through providing food, medical care, cleaning and other living necessities,” he said.

Sending foreigners home not only would help empty our prisons; it also would allow officials to focus their resources more on reforming and rehabilitating Saudi prisoners.

From discussions with prison guards and wardens, Abulsamh said they have not complained about a shortage of manpower, food or medical care, but because of the overcrowding they are pressured to maintain order.

“We have also spoken to the inmates and heard their complaints; none spoke of any abuse,” society spokesperson, Dr. Bandar Al-Hajjar told Arab News. He said their report will go beyond the Interior Ministry.

“There are other institutions that are involved in prison affairs, such as the Ministry of Justice and the Public Prosecutors Office, and they will all be informed.”