Turkish government's human rights institution warns against overcapacity, workshop-turned-ward at Aydın prison

Duvar English

The state-run Turkey Human Rights and Equality Institution (TİHEK) has prepared a report after their visit to the Aydın E Type Prison, drawing attention to some of the prison’s problems, the daily BirGün reported on Aug. 4.

Accordingly, the prison in the western province of Aydın had initially a capacity of 495, which has been increased to 1,000. However, there are currently 1,371 inmates at the facility, forcing them to sleep on the floor. 

The report stated that one of the workshops has been turned into a ward because of the capacity problem. The ward in question is located on the attic floor and has no ventilation.

Moreover, there are only six lockers used jointly in the workshop-turned-ward which accommodates 37 inmates.

The report stated that due to the difference in elevation between the shower areas and the ward and the lack of a door, water flew into the workshop-turned-ward.

The report also included interviews with physicians and detainees, showing that there was an outbreak of scabies in the prison. Moreover, the inmates suffering from scabies were not isolated.

Moreover, it said that there are no laundry facilities in the prison. Two washing machines in the facility are allocated to female inmates and the rest of them do their laundry by hand.

The report stated that inmates had access to hot water for only two hours a day, and emphasized that scabies could not be prevented due to the fact that inmates wash their laundry by hand.

The report further noted that not every inmate had a locker in many wards, and the prison officers were not trained on human rights and the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment.

Several Turkish prisons suffer from overcapacity and the ill-treatment of the inmates.