At least 1,900 inmates jailed for different crimes at Juba Central Prison are waiting for justice to be served through fair trials after half a decade behind bars without charges.

The aforementioned number of inmates packed at Juba Central Prison encompasses men, women and juveniles. Data obtained by City Review reveals that out of that figure, only 500 have been tried while the rest still waiting for their legal turn.

“We have left with some few years to be prosecuted but up now we do not know where our case has ended in the court of appeal,” said one of the inmates sentenced to death on South Sudan’s 10^th Independence Anniversary.

“We have taken three to five years. Sometimes you take many years without seeing complainants. We have too much problem inside here,” he decried.

 He said sometimes their families have been denied to see them, especially those on death row.

One of the inmates not on the death row said that they have been taken to court several times but their cases were postponed unheard.

“We have been taken to court but sometimes you cannot see a judge. We are appealing to the government to look [into] our cases,” he lamented.

“Some of our colleagues have been granted bail but they are still here because there is no one to follow up their cases,” said Deng one of the inmates.

Juba Central Prison has only between 18 to 30 year-olds especially at men’s and women’s homes.

No defence lawyers

Executive Director for Justice and Human Rights Observatory South Sudan Godfrey Bulla said lack of legal representation was a stumbling block keeping some inmates behind bars.

“Most of you who are here are all innocent only that they want some of you to go outside. Some of you don’t have money for hiring a lawyer that is you are still in prison,” Bulla said.

“Some of the inmates are in prison just for minor issues and some of them stay for three to four years without being taken to court,” he added. “This country can prosper if we believe in justice and court of law,” Bulla further said.

Bulla, a defence lawyer of some of the inmates, said there is a need for collaboration with Juba Central Prison to release inmates with minor cases.

“These youths when they are out there they contribute to the development of this country because they have now understood everything after staying in prison,” he said.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) South Sudan is one of the development partners looking at the welfare of inmates in South Sudan.

“We are supporting prisoners because they are part of the family. A lot of success stories productively coming from them because of the vocational training provided,” said Macyline Sikase at the Department of Security at UNDP.

UNDP secured 10 vans for the 10 states in the country to provide transport for inmates from the centre to the court. They said the vans have not yet arrived in the country but the process was finalised.

However, Director General for Juba Central Prison, Micheal Malou Makuac said that the rise in the number of prisoners came following the renewal of files of some inmates by judges.

He said those waiting for trial are between five to ten years in prison.

“Most of the files of these inmates were renewed. This is a big problem, we are committed to working as the government on the issue and this doesn’t come after a month it need time,” said Gen. Malou. 

Earlier, Deputy Director-General for Juba Central Prison, Pak Anjar Longa said overcrowding makes it difficult for the prison authority to deliver services to the inmates.

He said the Judiciary must look at the prisoners waiting for their trial by sentencing or releasing them according to their cases adding that by doing so it will reduce overcrowding.

Juba Central Prison was built decades ago to house only 400 inmates.