Prison conditions in Turkey amid pandemic: ‘No ventilation, disinfectants, masks…’

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The Civil Society in the Penal System (CİSST) Association has released a report regarding the complaints of prisoners about their conditions amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

While the report has been prepared based on the complaints received by the association between September 15 and 30, 2020, the complaints of prisoners have shown that prison wards are usually crowded, prisoners' beds stand close to one another and, therefore, prisoners have to sleep this close and cannot keep their social distance.

Prisoners staying in different wards in open prisons have also complained that they have to come together in shared spaces and dining halls.

'No social distance during body search'

The report has listed the below complaints:

* While prisons were disinfected regularly and at certain intervals at the onset of the outbreak, it has recently been less frequent.

* The number of prisons that have disinfectants in corridors is extremely low.

* As the windows of wards are small in some closed prisons, wards cannot be sufficiently aired out.

* In some prisons, wardens do body search without observing the social distance rules.

* In some prisons, the basic needs of prisoners staying in quarantine rooms such as newspapers, radios, televisions, books and tea urns are not met.

* It is indicated that in some prisons, prison personnel, except for wardens, do not observe the measures, thereby putting the health of prisoners at risk.

* While soaps, bleach and disinfectants are distributed free of charge in some prisons, they are not handed out for free in others. The materials distributed free are limited and fall short of meeting the needs.

* In some prisons, prisoners can use disinfectants only when they use their right to make a phone call.

* While prisoners who make a phone call are given masks in some prisons, they cannot use them during their phone calls in some otehrs even though they request it. 

* Masks are not sold in the canteens of some prisons; the prisoners who want to have masks by paying for them are not provided with this opportunity.

* In some prisons, prisoners are not given free cleaning products. The ones who cannot pay for or afford them are not given these products, either.

* In several prisons, there are no cleaning or hygiene products in toilets.

* It is indicated that bathrooms are dirty, washbasins are few, water is dirty and unusable in some prisons, water is frequently cut, hot water is limited and given at certain times.

* It is noted that in prisons located in warmer regions, water cuts pose greater problems and lead people to have problems with maintaining their personal hygiene. (AS/SD)