DOC/OS(XXXIII)/324c/I
25
mattresses should be thoroughly washed, treated with insecticide and disinfected
regularly in order to protect prisoners from infections.
Bedding
The prison administration supplies each detainee in prison with a bed, a foam
mattress, one or several blankets (depending on the season and on the
temperature), a pillow and sometimes sheets and pillowcases. At the E. Nepemba
centre, prisoners may request a mosquito net. However, in the dormitories, some
prisoners sleep on mattresses laid out on the floor at night and folded up during the
daytime (section N of Oluno, section B of Grootfontein prison). Inmates at section F
of Windhoek prison do not have pillows. The inmates of Hardap prison complained
about the lack of blankets in a good state, and of suffering from cold in winter. The
women in the central prisons of Windhoek and Omaruru complained of having to
sleep on the floor when there were too many of them.
In the police stations, overcrowding and lack of space are so prevalent that it is
impossible to use beds, including bunk beds. Prisoners share a limited number of
blankets and mats. New arrivals are not systematically given a sleeping space or
bedding. Sometimes they have to come to an agreement with their fellow -prisoners.
Blankets and mats are not systematically washed before redistribution. At
Grootfontein police station, detainees complained about the limited number of
blankets given to them. It was alleged that officers covered their cars with blankets
intended for the prisoners.
Food
In the prisons, food is supplied by the administration, which gets its supplies from
prison farms and private producers. Prison law allows prisoners to order food from
outside the prison. But for reasons of security, the exercise of this right has been
suspended for convicted prisoners and limited to those on remand, as staff claim
that searching baskets of food is difficult and dangerous. Muslim prisoners,
however, are allowed to receive food during Ramadan. Prisoners on remand in
Grootfontein prison receive food from outside prison. Menus and quantities are
established by a nutritionist 5 varying in principle according to gender, age and state
of health. Babies and infants detained with their mothers are supplied with a special
diet. The inmates take three meals: breakfast at 7:30 am, a light lunch at 11:00 am
and dinner at 3:00 pm. During Ramadan, the Muslim prisoners are allowed to take
their meal at night. The meals are prepared by inmates who work in the kitchen, but
have not received training for this purpose. The Special Rapporteur was very
surprised to hear that HIV positive prisoners were not allowed to work in the kitchen.
She advised that discrimination against people suffering from HIV/AIDS is not
allowed.
In principle, inmates receive bread, porridge, sugar, margarine, tea, powdered milk,
meat or fish, vegetables and salt every day. They get jam once a week and oil twice
a week. The inmates also receive several meals composed of a mixture of beans,
maize and peas. Children detained with their mothers as well as the sick prisoners,
may, on doctor's prescription, receive fresh fruit, more milk and eggs. Sodium free
diets are also available for prisoners suffering from high blood pressure. The
delegation also noted that prisoners who work are allowed to request additional
rations (Windhoek). Food is generally well cooked in hygienic conditions and tastes
good. The Special Rapporteur tasted it and was satisfied with the quality.
5
See the attached table of weekly rations.
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