The South Sudan National Prison Service has expressed concern over the increase in robberies and killing in the country.
Its Director General. Andrew Kuany Aguer says Juba prison is full of people accused of robbery and killings.
This came during the visit of Canadian delegation to Juba Prison on Tuesday.
Aguer says 90 percent of the detained are young people allegedly arrested for robbing cattle, killings, and rape cases.
“Those who are in prison as you have seen are all young men no old men among them and you have known your problems as a youth. What do you have outside there, the whole prisons across South Sudan are full of young people?
“The common crimes we have known are robberies, killings, spoiling young ladies, and going after people’s wives.”
Gen. Aguer attributed the increase in crimes to poverty among the youth, economic hardship, and the high population in Juba.
“Juba is full of people and half of the ten states are in Juba, as you have seen Juba is growing over and over that is why people take the opportunity of robbing others.
“The population in Juba is very high and life is hard, the one who doesn’t have anything to survive on continues robbing people.”
Aguer revealed that more than one thousand suspects are kept in prison beyond the time expected because they have not appeared in court.
“Suspects have been here for a long time without judgment so that if they find anyone committed crime or not. So, it’s a concern from us as a prison service not from the victims even, over 1,000 suspects are just in the prison and we have an issue with food and issue of beds, and the prison is full.”
“If they take them to court maybe there are some who will be released if they find no guilty.”
According to the Director, Juba national prison is hosting nearly three thousand inmates.