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{
    "id": 503904,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/503904/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 299,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Katoo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 199,
        "legal_name": "Judah Katoo Ole-Metito",
        "slug": "judah-ole-metito"
    },
    "content": "reforms. Clause 7(1)(g) up to Clause 8 talk of the right to communicate with their families or other person of one’s choice using phones in cells. This is currently not allowed. Therefore, you are allowed to communicate to whoever you want and the right to communicate with your advocate privately. Clause 8 provides for the right to communicate whether by telephone or other means to any person. Those are very good reforms, but these are rights to persons who have been detained in most cases for some wrong doing. We need to look into it. Maybe the relevant Departmental Committee will bring some amendments. Clause 9 is very important. Those held in custody shall have a right to inspect the receipt book and verify the accuracy of the record. At times, what you are charged of is not what is written in the receipt book. It is good that you now have a right to check and verify the accuracy of the records in the receipt book. Clause 9(4) provides that if any of the personal property to which this section relates is not restored when the accused person has been released and the verdict of not guilty has been entered or the issue has been settled out of the court, a record of the reason for its retention shall be entered in the receipt book. At times, the properties that the detained persons leave in the cell or in custody are not given back to them on release. When this Bill becomes law, all those things need to be done. Clause 12 is the most expensive part of it. Clause 12 says that you are not supposed to be confined in crowded conditions. We all know that our prisons are full to capacity. This will overstretch resources of the State. Therefore, it calls for the national Government to have prisons in all constituencies. This is the only way to avoid having crowded conditions in correctional centres. This issue of accommodation has been talked about; for example, separation of men from women, female from male, mothers with infants, intersex persons, older people, refugees and those who are detained because of civil matters from those with criminal issues. This, therefore, calls for prisons reforms. It calls for enlargement of our correctional institutions. As it is now, it will not be possible to implement this Bill with the current capacity in our cells. We have children, pregnant and lactating women being given special conditions in terms of health. It is a nice idea but very expensive. Maintaining Hygiene, meeting people’s religious needs and provision of sanitary materials in these places will be very expensive. This is a Bill that will go a long way in reforming our prisons. Clause 19 says that a person deprived of liberty shall be entitled to access to educational opportunities, reading materials that are beneficial to rehabilitation or personal development and have reasonable access to news from the media. This one needs to be fine-tuned. If we talk of access to materials that are beneficial to their rehabilitation, some may get access to materials that will harden them, for example, radicalization materials. Therefore, it is good to sieve materials that can be accessed, for example, news from the media. When it comes to Third Reading of the Committee of the whole House, I expect the Committee on Implementation to come up with possible amendments, especially on the kind of materials to be accessed. Clause 13 of this Bill talks about medical facilities. This is where you have to give these people medical facilities, special food and put them under hygienic conditions. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}