Saudi Arabia's Human Rights Commission (HRC) has said some of the prisons in the country are crowded beyond capacity adversely affecting the level of hygiene and services extended to the inmates.

The commission released a report after visiting various general and intelligence prisons in addition to the detention centers, social observation homes and girls' protection facilities.

HRC spokesman Mohammed Al-Madi said the commission members made 514 tours of detention centers, 352 visits to intelligence prisons, 29 visits to social observation homes and 22 visits to girls' protection facilities last year.

He said the commission focused on a number of parameters including the intake capacity of prisons, classification of inmates, services being extended to the inmates of special needs, isolation areas for sick prisoners and the condition of women inmates.

Madi said the commission's teams also checked the terms served by the prisoners, existence of special files for each case, ways and means of informing them about their rights, the process of trial and the modality for receiving prisoners' complaints.

He said the parameters also included making sure that the imprisoned or detained persons were enjoying all the rights guaranteed by the system and that no prisoner should stay in prison after they have served their terms.

"The prisoners should have enough time for visits and there should be places ready to receive the visitors," he added.

The spokesman said the commission was particularly concerned the prisoners' rights to health care, education, training, and social care to their families.

Madi praised some of the arrangements adopted by the prison authorities including a window for communications between the inmates and their family members, the family day during which the wives and children are allowed to remain with the prisoners for 24 hours in special suites and the short paroles allowing prisoners to attend weddings or funerals.

He said a number of the prisoners were allowed to continue their general or university education while being incarcerated.

The spokesman said the commission made 1,474 visits to concerned government departments all over the Kingdom to ensure that human rights were being protected and respected.

SOURCE : SAUDIGAZETTE