The Morobe Provincial Administration has set up a Special Committee, headed by the Deputy Provincial Administrator Social Sector, Mr. Robin Bazinuc for the establishment of a new cell block for Lae’s Buimo Prison to address the issue of overcrowding.

According to the Provincial Administrator, Max Bruten, the Committee had sent out letters requesting the Chief Executive Officers of the 10 District Development Authorities to assist the Provincial Administration with money to build a new cell block for Buimo Prison.

This follows the intervention of the Ombudsman Commission on the issue of overcrowding at Lae’s Buimo Prison last year through a media article published in Post Courier, one of the two daily news papers.

According to Morobe’s Provincial Administrator, Mr Bruten, the Provincial Administration was summoned by the Ombudsman Commission and interrogated by the Ombudsman Commission’s Chief Executive Officer, Richard Pagen on why the Administration has not done anything to address the issue of overcrowding at Buimo Prison.

The issue of overcrowding has always been a health risk in Lae’s Buimo Jail, the second largest prison in PNG. Initially, the prison was designed to accommodate 600 prisoners. However, it currently accommodates over 900 inmates.

The completion of the new cell block will ease the issue of overcrowding, health risks, inadequate food supplies, and jail breakout.

Meanwhile, Buimo Prison Administration and Health Center is working really hard to attend to very sick inmates.