After the Gen-Z movement, to study the condition of Banke Jail and collect facts, Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC), Advocacy Forum Nepal, and Consumer Protection Forum Lumbini Province jointly conducted a field monitoring visit on November 5.
During the monitoring, the team interacted with the jail administration, security personnel, and inmates to gather information regarding the current situation, challenges, and possibilities for improvement.
A jail with a capacity of 350 inmates was found to be holding 796 inmates (345 detainees and 451 convicted inmates). The monitoring report states that due to having to accomodate more than double its capacity, difficulties have been observed in accommodation, health, and sanitation. Although one female detainee has been kept temporarily in the jail, it has been reported that there is no separate building for female inmates in Banke.
According to the monitoring team, during the Gen-Z movement on September 10, when some inmates attempted to escape, security personnel fired shots in the air to control the situation, resulting in Umesh Bam, 24 from Kailali being injured in the leg by a bullet. His condition is currently normal, and after treatment at Bheri Hospital, he has been sent back to the jail, said Dipendra Paudel, Deputy non-gazetted officer of Jail.
It was found that the jail has basic facilities for drinking water, sanitation, and health care for inmates. A system of submersible pumps and mineral water has been arranged for clean drinking water, and 11 public toilets are in operation in A-Block and B-Block. A primary school is also being operated, where 97 inmates are studying from grades 1 to 5. Additionally, 7 inmates are pursuing +2 level education and 2 are studying at the bachelor level.
During observation, it was seen that the administrative building of the jail is in a dilapidated condition, and employees feel unsafe and are compelled to work from outside the building. Issues have also been raised such as delayed receipt of prison warrants from the court, delays in the appeal period, and inmates’ complaints not being addressed on time.
The monitoring team has provided suggestions to the concerned authorities, including managing inmates according to the jail capacity, reconstruction of the deteriorated infrastructure, arranging a separate building for female inmates within Banke, and ensuring timely availability of required documents from the court.
INSEC Nepalgunj Program Officer Tek Nath Acharya, Advocacy Forum Provincial Coordinator Basanta Gautam, and Consumer Protection Forum Lumbini Province Vice-President Prabhat Kumar Thakuri were present during the monitoring.