The Uganda Prisons Services (UPS) has reported a significant increase in Uganda’s prison population, with the current figure standing at 77,592 individuals. The breakdown reveals that among them, 39,602 are convicts, 37,555 are on remand, and 435 are debtors.
Frank Baine, the spokesperson for Uganda Prisons, disclosed this information during the weekly security press briefing held at the Uganda Police Force headquarters in Naguru on Monday. He highlighted that as of December, the prison population was slightly lower, at 76,000, indicating a notable surge within a short timeframe.
Baine emphasized the need for urgent measures to address the rising numbers, citing concerns about the limited space available for additional inmates. At present, the overcrowding ratio is nearly four individuals accommodated for every one-person capacity in the prison facilities.
One contributing factor to the increase, as explained by Baine, is the prolonged stay of prisoners on remand. He noted instances where individuals charged with minor offenses, initially meant for a two-month duration, end up spending nine months in prison. Additionally, Baine highlighted that the daily court session attendance in the previous year was recorded at 1,602.
The spokesperson expressed concern about the warder-prison ratio, standing at 1:7, falling short of the internationally recommended standard of 1:3. Despite this, Baine acknowledged a positive shift in the duration of stay for those held on capital offenses, revealing a decrease from two years to one-and-a-half years.
Regarding reoffending rates, Baine reported a figure of 1.4, signifying that out of every 100 convicted prisoners, only 14 were recommitted to prison after committing a subsequent offense. He added that approximately 35,000 inmates underwent rehabilitation programs throughout the previous year.
Efforts are now underway to address the challenges posed by the surge in the prison population, and authorities are exploring strategies to alleviate overcrowding and enhance the efficiency of the judicial system.
