my visit and this was insufficient. Souba, in the view of one inmate, is the most dangerous prison in Mali. In comparison, Bamako prison is ten times better than Souba, he added. Complaint about not getting envelopes to write to relatives was made. Although they were allowed to have visits, because their families were far away it was not a meaningful right. A week before the visit, they used to work for the military in batches of 20 25. They welcomed this opportunity as it afforded them the occasion to be fed by the military and also to bath. Cell 2 In the presence of the Director, they complained that the food was not always enough. As in the case of Cell 1, they were not given soap and blanket. They were also aggrieved by their long remand: one inmate had been on remand for six years, a second 4 years while others have been in custody for two and a half years. The food was poor, and there was no light. They were taken outside to bath and walk about once or twice a week. Because of lack of transport, they were not taken to hospital when they were ill. A third cell was reserved for 'Corvees libres' (those who work outside the prison). These are chosen by the warders from the inmates who are about to complete their sentences or who have short sentences. At my request, the door of the cell was left open because there were two other firmly secured doors, as previously described. Kayes Prison arrived at Kayes from Bamako on 5 December 1998 at about 10 a.m. At the airport to welcome me was a six man/woman delegation led by the Registrar of Prison, Mr. Souleymane Kass& The Prosecutor and her deputy were among the welcome party. Registrar let it be known that about a month ago three prisoners escaped from the prison. I Most of the prisoners were sitting in the big compound watching television, which some inmates stated had been provided shortly before my visit. A close look was taken at most of the cells. There were mats in all the cells, which also had a pot of water resting on sand to keep the water cool. 30 Cell 1 was named "Sabalibougou" (wisdom). It was airy and had a good supply of light. Divided into two, one section measuring approximately 2.5 x 3.5m held 4 prisoners, and the other section measuring about 6 x 10m had 24 prisoners. Cell 9 "Salauds" (bastards) was once reserved for hardened criminals. Although it was closed down sometime ago, overcrowding had compelled its usage again. While it had only one window, the cell was fairly bright and clear. Toilet, bath facility had been provided in one corner of the cell. Disciplinary Cell As related by the Registrar, offenders were kept here during the day and returned to their cells in the night. Isolation rarely exceeded 24 hours. It measures approximately 2 x 1 in. Cell 4 This was named "Bamankoro" (silk cotton tree) and consisted of 2 adjoining rooms. It was home to 27 prisoners, and had a toilet/bath facility as in the case of "salauds". Cell 5 The notorious features of this cell, referred to as "grande chambre" (larger room), were the pungent urine scent and high temperature. The sewage system of this cell, as of "Bamankoro", needs to be improved. A toilet facility had been provided in the centre of the cell. Cell 6 A civil servants quarters, it had 7 inmates all of whom had mattresses. We gathered from the inmates that the prison had been repainted about two and half months prior to my visit. Female Wing A room measuring approximately 3 x 4m had two female inmates. Although they were allowed to mix with the male prisoners, they had not been harassed. They had also not encountered any problem from the male warders. One of the women suffered from a skin ailment on her arm, but she had kept it to herself because she could not endure the shame of being marched by warders through the town to a hospital. Juveniles Wing A cell reserved for juveniles had six inmates in them. Once outside the cell, 31