Acquitted prisoners want government compensation

Mbarara. Inmates at Mbarara Central and Kakiika prisons have asked the government to consider compensating suspects after courts have exonerated them from charges so as to stop the habit of arresting and detaining people carelessly.
The appeal was contained in a petition the prisoners presented to Principal Judge Yorokamu Bamwine, who was visiting the prisons on Monday, and carried out sensitisation on plea bargain.
James Osber, an inmate at Kakiika prison on charges of obtaining money by false pretence, read the petition.

“We are suffering because of carelessness and unprofessionalism of government agencies, especially the police, which disintegrates our lives. Some of our colleagues are acquitted in court and go back home with nothing and their families are broken down, their children do not go to school and they have nowhere to start from,” he said.
He added that if compensating prisoners is introduced, government agencies will stop arraigning suspects in courts before thorough investigations.

“The government should start compensating prisoners who are not found guilty and are acquitted to go back home. This will compel government to investigate matters very well before going to court. People are suffering here for no reason and a lot has been lost,” Osber added.
Mr Kassimu Senuura Byaruhanga, who spoke on behalf of inmates at Mbarara Central Prison, said juveniles are detained with adults yet they should be in remand homes and serve lighter sentences.

“We have juveniles here whom police records say they are 23 years yet they are later discovered to be below 18 years. And this is one form of carelessness and unprofessionalism we are talking about and perpetrators should be brought to book and victims compensated,” Mr Byaruhanga said.
However, Justice Bamwine advised the prisoners to sue government for damages if they never committed the offences.

“There is this elephant in the house; people being acquitted after five years and you need compensation? I have spent more than 30 years in the Judiciary but to acquit you does not mean that you never committed a case but rather the evidence was not sufficient enough to put you to the crime. But if you never committed a case, file a civil suit and government will compensate you,” Justice Bamwine said.
He condemned putting juveniles and adults in the same prison, saying it is dangerous for child development and it is punishable by law.
By Monday, Mbarara Central Prison had 1,732 inmates while Kakiika Prison had 563 inmates.

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