Many people are involved in the discussion concerning the conditions in our prisons. Some consider the prisons unfit for housing human beings while others argue that the prisons should be redesigned and renovated.
Whatever the opinion, there is fairly universal agreement that our prisons are overcrowded. The problem is that no matter how much effort is put into improving prison conditions, they may not produce the desired results and so for this reason, the prisons should be declared unfit.
A special committee, composed of members of different charity organizations set up at the initiative of the Makkah governor, conducted a study of conditions in prisons in the region. The report contained alarming pictures and video footage as well as facts, figures and statistics.
The report revealed two facts that shocked many. First, there is overcrowding in Jeddah’s prisons where every ward has more inmates than it was meant to hold. Overcrowding has naturally led to the spread of contagious diseases among inmates. The overwhelming majority of the inmates — 85 percent in fact — are non-Saudi. Some have already been tried and convicted while others are awaiting trial. The strange thing is that most of them are being held for petty violations and misdemeanors. In addition to overcrowding, there is the fact that trials normally take a long time and court proceedings are extremely slow; as a result of the delays and postponements, things drag on for months.
Experts and researchers into prison affairs agree that non-Saudi prisoners should be sent back to their respective home countries as soon as a sentence involving flogging has been passed. Necessary arrangements should of course be taken to ensure they are barred from returning to the Kingdom. Why spend money and waste time and effort keeping behind bars people who should be deported? Sending them home would help empty our prisons and allow officials to focus more on such issues as reforming and rehabilitating Saudi prisoners.
The authorities should take the initiative and order the immediate deportation of all non-Saudi prisoners held for petty crimes. No matter how much we spend on expanding prisons, emphasis should be on developing administrative and supervisory bodies capable of efficiently running them. No doubt this will be both time-consuming and expensive but the fact is that we have no choice.
