Among the remand prisoners was a Sierra Leonean who stated that she kept the goods of a murder convict. In order to see the Minister of Justice, the visit to the Centre was cut short. Koulikoro Prison Friday 4 December are referred to the hospital in Koulikoro. The prison does not stock medicine, it is bought on prescription. Medical supply which was once received from the Prison Service in Bamako ended sometime ago. The Deputy Registrar has been trained to give injections. Visits and Correspondence - Discussion with the Registrar There are two prisons in Koulikoro, an old one situated in the spacious compound of the National Guard Complex and a new one at Souba, which was constructed with the assistance of the government of Germany. The Registrar of both prisons is Mr. Souleymane Doumbia. The other one was built during the colonial era, and rehabilitated five years ago. But it still has cracks from age and prisoners' boring holes in the walls to effect their escape. Most of the time the prison houses men. Whenever women are received, they are kept separately in a cell. Women are usually granted bail while on trial. Women convicts used to be transferred to Bamako, but are now sent to Bolle. Originally Souba was to replace the old prison. After the former was opened in 1996, it was realised that it had poor ventilation. The prison was so warm during the dry season that several prisoners died. It was, therefore, closed down for improvement to be made to the ventilation aspect. Prisoners were transferred to Souba twenty days before my visit. Remand prisoners, thirty with three Nigerians among them, were left in Koulikoro because the court was closer from here than from Souba. 24 warders man the two prisons. Three and four are on duty at the old and new prisons respectively for seven continuous days, and are then relieved by similar sets of guards for the same period. The system is such that in one month, a guard works for two weeks and rests for two weeks. When on duty, the guards rest at certain times although patrol continues within and outside the prisons. Meals The rule is that food should be served three times. However, because of limited supply of firewood, what should be eaten on three occasions is cooked and served once. Nevertheless there are plans to serve food twice. The food consists of millet, rice and beans. Rice and beans are eaten once a week. Health A nurse visits the prison once a week to attend to sick inmates. Serious cases 26 In respect of remand prisoners, authorization by a judge is required for a visit. These are allowed two visits a week each for 15 minutes. By law, the National Director must sanction visits to convicts, but because he is in far away Bamako, the Registrar gives permission for visits whenever a visitor shows up. There is no limit to the number of letters that may be written by an inmate, or which he may receive However, both incoming and outgoing mail is censored. Phone calls can also be made by inmates although a warder will listen in to the conversation. Games Cards, draught, dice and ludo are provided to the inmates for recreation. Discipline Infraction of prison regulations are met with the imposition of sanctions such as denial of visit, isolation in a cell and denial of participation in games or receipt of correspondence. Corporal punishment is not administered to the inmates. Aggressive and mentally ill inmates are handcuffed or put into leg iron. There is a separate wing in the new prison (Souba) for the mentally ill. When a doctor certifies that a convict is insane, he is transferred to Bamako, Point G. Hospital'. Tour of the prison A fairly spacious yard, in which the inmates were assembled, is adorned with trees. Cell 1 The inmates consisted of civil servants and those allowed to work outside the prison. Cell 2 This is an abandoned cell. As was narrated, on or about 17 January 1998, 23 inmates escaped from this cell after boring a hole in one of the walls, and escaping through it and an adjoining store. Some of them were re-arrested. 27