Prison conditions overall remained below international standards.
Physical Conditions: There were approximately 430 inmates in the prison system, including 23 women and 37 juveniles. The Tafaigata men’s prison, the country’s most crowded, had 23 cells of various sizes, including eight-century-old concrete cells that measured approximately 30 feet by 30 feet and held 26 to 30 inmates each. Only basic provisions were made with respect to food, water (including potable water), and sanitation. Cell lighting and ventilation remained poor; lights remained on only from dusk until 9 p.m. Each cell had one toilet and one shower facility, which were shared communally.
Several prisoners who escaped from Tafaigata Prison on separate occasions during the year stated they were motivated to escape to voice complaints to government officials and the press about living conditions and mistreatment by prison guards and police. For example, in September a 23-year-old prisoner escaped from the prison and claimed to the media that prison guards had beaten him. At year’s end his complaint had not been investigated.
The separate Tafaigata women’s prison had five cells that were approximately 15 feet by nine feet, and each held four to six inmates. There was also one separate holding cell for female inmates awaiting trial and one security cell. Physical conditions, including ventilation and sanitation, generally were better in the women’s prison than in the men’s prison.
Juveniles (under 21 years of age) were housed at the Olomanu Juvenile Center, where physical conditions generally were better than in adult facilities. The 37 juveniles were housed in three separate homes and lived as a community in a 300-acre compound.
Overnight detainees were held at two holding cells at police headquarters in Apia and one cell at Tuasivi. The cells had good lighting, sanitation, and ventilation.
Administration: Files on prisoners were kept by police and typically covered problems regarding sentencing and parole. Courts regularly used community service hours and suspended sentences as alternatives to sentencing for nonviolent offenders.
The Office of the Ombudsman is legally mandated to receive and investigate complaints of prisoners and detainees on problems of inhumane overcrowding; status and circumstances of juvenile offenders; and improvement of pretrial detention, bail, and recordkeeping procedures. Prisoners also could lodge complaints with the police department’s PSU.
Officials permitted prisoners escorted hospital visits for medical checks as necessary. A room at the police officers’ headquarters served as a medical clinic, but no doctor or nurse was assigned to the facility.
Prisoners at all facilities, including the juvenile facility, are required to do manual labor approximately 40 hours per week. Prisoners generally performed agricultural work and cooked to provide food for the inmates and prison staff.
The government permitted family members and church representatives to visit prisons weekly. This was often on Sundays, when families could bring food and clothing for inmates.
Authorities permitted prisoners and detainees religious observance and allowed them to submit complaints to judicial authorities and request investigation of allegations of inhumane conditions. Authorities investigated such allegations and documented the results in a publicly accessible manner. In general, the government investigated and monitored prison and detention center conditions.
Monitoring: The government permitted monitoring visits by independent human rights observers, including the Red Cross and other diplomatic missions.