REPUBLIC OF KIRIBATI COUNTRY PAPER

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                     REPUBLIC OF KIRIBATI
                       COUNTRY PAPER


                                          FOR THE

   “23rd ASIA AND PACIFIC CONFERENCE
            OF CORRECTIONAL
             ADMINISTRATORS”


                                          Hong-Kong

   Monday, 8 December 2003 – Friday, 12 December
                       2003




AGENDA TOPICS:-
Ø CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN PRISONS
Ø PRISONERS COMPLAINTS AND GRIEVANCES
Ø PROMOTING DESIRABLE PRISON OFFICERS CULTURE AND
  BEHAVIOR
Ø MAJOR PRISON DISTURBANCE; CAUSES AND RESPONSE.




Kiribati Prison Service: Country Report
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                       KIRIBATI PRISON SERVICE
                          REPUBLIC OF KIRIBATI

1] CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN PRISON
A]. Organization
1. The Kiribati Prison Services is within the portfolio of responsibilities of the
Office of Te Beretitenti(President of Kiribati) and administered by the
Commissioner of Police in his capacity as a Commissioner of Prisons.
   The title, Commissioner of Prisons is at present been introduced after the
creation and upgrading of the new post of Superintendent of Prisons within the
Prison Service.
2. The current strength of the Kiribati Prison Service [as that of 30
June2003] is as follows;
Commissioner of Prisons -        1 (Post held by Commissioner of Police).

Superintendent of Prisons -               Nil (New post)

Assistant Superintendent           -      1

Inspector of Prisons               -      1

Senior Headwarders                 -      4

Headwarders                        -      4

Male Warders                       -      25

Female Prison Officers             -       1
   Total                           -      37

3. There are 5 Prisons in Kiribati. They are all closed Prisons (4 male Prisons
and 1 female Prison). Other establishments like borstals, Remand centers and
detention centers are no yet introduced due to lack of facilities. By this,
classification is the major concern of the Prison Service. Kiribati Prison
Service has laid proposals in regard to this concern to the Government of
Kiribati.
   Due to the lack of facilities to facilitate the classification system, the
incarceration of inmates into the 5 Prisons are mixed up (i.e. Lifers, long



Kiribati Prison Service: Country Report
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termers, short termers, young offenders and Remandees); They share their
accommodation, dining room and they work together as well.

B]. Trends in Crime

1. The Prison population at the end of June this year, 2003 is 55. There are
    52 males and 3 females. Out of this total, 54 are convicted Prisoners and
    1 remandee. Of these numbers, 25.5% convicted for murder, 23.6% for
    sexual offence, 18.2% for violence against people and 23.6% for other
    offences.


C]. Staffing issues

Recruitment
Press advertising has been the mainstay of prison Officers recruitment.

Selection criteria for basic recruits are that; applicant should have the
following during registration,
3 Be an I-Kiribati citizen and be between the ages of 18 – 25.
3 Must have a clear criminal record.
3 Must have a clear medical report.
3 Must at least have a Form 5 secondary school Certificate.
Those who meets the above requirement are then have to sit the screening test
basically on English due to the fact that, English is an Official language in
Kiribati.
Those selected then will undergo a 6 months recruit course.


Promotion;
As a result of the Salary Review Committee; [a committee established last
year (2002) by the Public Service Office to review the wages of all Civil
Servants of the Kiribati government], Prison Officers (all ranks) have their
wages up-graded.
Following this up grading in salary, the promotion especially to the ranks that
is Sergeant, Inspector and up to Superintendent is selective. A diploma and
above academic qualifications are required.
Promotion are given to those possess high education and proven quality
performance.




Kiribati Prison Service: Country Report
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Training;

Prison Officers are encouraged to do their education on any particular courses
they prefer (but relevant to the job), privately or in other word at their own
expense.
Those who manage to obtain good result from their courses could be given
higher education on IN-Service training schemes from the government of
Kiribati.


2] PRISONERS COMPLAINTS AND GRIEVANCES:

In accordance to the Prison Standing Orders of the Kiribati Prison Service;
Section 17, it’s stated that;
Any prisoner may complain and make application to a;

v Visiting Justice

v Superintendent of Prisons

v Officer Incharge of Prison

v Inspector of Prisons.

The officer Incharge shall hear requests from Prisoners at any time. He will
redress any ligitimate grievances so far as he is able or take whatever steps are
necessary in dealing with a complaint.
All complaints and requests shall be entered and the action recorded. A
prisoner may apply to the officer incharge to speak with an Inspecting Officer
in Private and shall be allowed to do so at the first opportunity.

Petitions

It is obvious; that some petitions made by Prisoners contained allegations or
complaints against the Prison administration. By this, the Officer Incharge
will do a full investigation and attach a comprehensive report about the
matter.




Kiribati Prison Service: Country Report
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Illiteracy;

The procedures below are applied for the submission of Complaints by
illiterate Prisoners;
l An Officer who shall take down and record the actual words spoken by
      the Prisoner shall write the complaints for a prisoner.

l    The officer shall not correct or alter the composition but on completion
     shall read back what is written. The prisoner if satisfied will sign or place
     thumb mark on the complaint.

l    The officer shall endorse the petition stating that it was recorded as
     spoken by the prisoner, that it was read back to him and his sign thumb
     marked.

l    The original document shall be processed in the usual way and copy
     translated copy placed on the prisoner’s record.

l    No other prisoner shall be permitted to draft or write complaints on behalf
     of a prisoner.

l    If the officer In charge has reason to believe that a complaint submitted is
     not in accordance with these directions, the prisoer shall be informed and
     the complaint withheld.

Dealing with complaints: -

Prisoners complaints are dealt with by the officer Incharge of the prison they
constituent.

Usually complaints that is not so serious. Prisoners when not so satisfied by
the officer Incharge allowed to make application to the Superintendent of
Prisoner and if so still not satisfied, may apply to the court.




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3] PROMOTING DESIRABLE PRISON OFFICERS CULTURE
AND BEHAVIOUR:-

Cultures and Behavior of Prison officers writhin the Kiribati Prison Service
varied differently where prison officers show, some positive and some
negative attitudes toward their work.

Exactly in dealing with prisoner’s complaints, it shows that there is a different
in the supervision or treatment of prisoners by prison officers; some prison
officers are so firm and some are so lenient.
The Kiribati Prison Service takes step especially in overcoming this.

v Charging those prison officers with negative behavior.

v Sending prison officers in turns (2 at a time) to attend management
  supervisory skill courses offered in local institutions
v Weekly lectures conducted to all prison officers to develop and refresh
  their knowledge on the treatment of prisoners and moreover lead them to
  recognise that they are responsible for the safe custody and security of
  prisoners. Not only that, but to make them(Prison Officers) aware how
  importantly their respect to the human rights of the persons in custody.

     Another negative factor is the prison legislation or Ordinance, which is
     quite chaotic, and need to be reviewed.



4] MAJOR PRISON DISTURBANCE:- CAUSES AND
RESPONSES.

The Kiribati Prison service never was experiences such a Major prison
disturbance since first established up to now.
By this situation; The prison management at present could not lay
contingency plans for controlling it. The Kiribati Prison Service do believe
that such a disturbance might have occur sometime in future and this
encourage the prison management to look into and adopt any contingency
plans that are probable and that are fit to the situations in Kiribati.




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Some minor prison disturbance that had existed in Kiribati Prison is normally,
fighting between inmates. Fighting are sometimes causes by inmates being
drinking alcohol. Friends or even relatives of inmates could pass alcoholic
drinks into prisons (trafficking).

Those inmates (after the fight) who are found to be the cause of the trouble
are separated to different prisons.




Kiribati Prison Service: Country Report