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One of Fiji’s 13 prison facilities will be closed down because it has not filled half of its capacity while wardens outnumber inmates.
“This prison facility has remained uneconomical, to say the least,” said Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, while briefing Cabinet on the closure of Lakeba Island prison.
“The facility was built to house 14 prison inmates at any one time, however, at the most, only three to five prisoners are kept at this prison facility, year in, year out.
“At present, there are three prisoners kept at this prison facility as compared to eight staff.”
Sayed-Khaiyum said the prison was established on Lakeba in 1985 to rehabilitate prisoners convicted by the Lau Court, and to contain up to 14 inmates; however this has never been fully achieved over the years.
The Fiji Prison and Correctional Services administers some 850 prisoners every year.
Naboro, the country’s largest prison complex, has four facilities, including Maximum Security Prison, Medium Security Prison, Minimum Security Prison and the Pre-Release Centre.
The other major prison facilities are Suva Prison in Korovou, Women’s Prison (Korovou), Nasinu Prison, Lautoka Prison, Labasa Prison, Taveuni Prison, Ba Prison, Levuka Prison and the Lakeba Prison.
