Tanzania Government installs detectors and CCTV cameras in prison to control crimes

The Government of Tanzania has revealed that it has installed detectors and closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) to identify and control criminal activities in prisons across the country, the House heard on Tuesday, according to a new report by Tanzania Daily News.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has said in a written response to a question by special seats Member of Parliament Rukia Ahmed who wanted to know the government's plan to control crimes in prisons.

The MP had in her main question, sought to understand what the government was doing to address the problem.

Responding to the question the ministry has said that it was true that at times there were incidents of law-breaking in prisons ranging from trafficking, the entrance of illegal products and materials in prisons, uncalled-for use of force against prisoners by wardens, prisoners trying to escape, exchange of obscene language, damage of prison properties against rules put in place.

The ministry also listed down a number of laws that have been put in place to facilitate the operation of prisons in the country including the Prison Act of 1967, the Prison Service Regulations of 1997, Prison Offences Regulations, and the Prisons Standing Order of 2003.

"These laws and guidelines have enlisted the kind of offenses, actions to be taken against a warden of prisoners upon confirmation that he conducted the offenses," the ministry said.

Criminal incidents in prisons have continued to occur for years in the country with an example of a recent incident where two remand prisoners and one prisoner at Butimba Central Prison in Mwanza City last month were killed after they allegedly attempted to escape.

In 2005, at least 15 prisoners sentenced to death in the main Ukonga maximum security prison in Dar es Salaam, started a hunger strike protesting about their harsh prison conditions.

The inmates said they were reportedly protesting at a poor prison diet and being severely beaten whilst being held in overcrowded prison cells.