a) The Adama Prison The Adama (Nazret) Prison is located on the outskirts of the capital city of the Oromia Region – Nazret.2 The prison with its 7 cells – 6 for men and 1 for women – has an original holding capacity of about 150 prisoners but has 300 inmates – 273 male and 27 female, including 5 children and one expectant mother. The female cell is completely separated from the male cells and guarded by female guards. The age range of the prisoners is from 16 to 82 years for men and 14 to 65 years for women. There is a small clinic with a resident nurse and one health assistant. There is no doctor. Serious health cases are referred to hospital. The prison has a small library with very few books; it also has a mini-media where information and news is disseminated to the prisoners. The mini-media also serves as entertainment for the prisoners. There is no classroom for formal education but some inmates have been arranging make-shift classes to teach others. They follow the national curriculum and teach up to grade 5 level. With the support of the prison authorities these classes will be recognised and accredited by the regional government next year. There are very few vocational activities, especially in the female section. As a matter of fact, the female section has neither a school, a recreational facility nor a vocational training facility. The argument advanced by the authorities for this absence is that male and female inmates, as per prison regulations, cannot be put together and the authorities do not have the resources or the space to establish separate facilities. b) The Dippo Prison The Dippo Prison is also located in the East Shoa Zone of the Oromia Region just a few kilometers from the Adama Prison. It has a total prison population of 325 inmates. It has a reasonably equipped vocational training facility that offers training in wood work, metal work and weaving. There is limited space for other recreational facilities – there is however, a volleyball court used almost exclusively by the male inmates. With support from the Prison Fellowship Ethiopia, the authorities have constructed three new large modern cells equipped with flushing toilets. The cells also have beds, mattresses, bed sheets and towels for each inmate. Each cell has an area of about 7m x 12m with a capacity of 36 prisoners. The authorities plan to move some inmates into the new cells by the end of April 2004. 2 It is also called and pronounced Nazareth. The name was changed from Adama to Nazret but the local authorities still use the name Adama. 19 Report of the Mission of the Special Rapporteur on Prisons to Ethiopia 15 – 29 March 2004