On Sunday, South Sudan Women Advocates Association donated food and other sanitary item to Juba Central Prison /Michael Daniel

Overcrowding at Juba Central Prison is straining efforts of prison authorities to provide services to inmates, an official has said.

Recently, there have been reports of lack of food at prisons and detention centre across the country after a supply company stopped delivering food over payment disputes.

But Pak Anjar Longa, the deputy director-general of Juba Central Prison says the ministry of finance and the company have resolved the standoff.

Juba Central Prison is home to 1,790 inmates—including men, women, and juveniles. Out of this, only 500 have been tried in courts while the rest are still waiting for their cases to be heard.

According to Mr. Anjar, overcrowding makes it difficult for prison authorities to deliver services to the inmates.

“The Judiciary has to look at the prisoners waiting for their trials by sentencing or releasing them according to their cases,” Anjar said during a visit by the Women Advocates Association of South Sudan who donated food and non-food items to Juba Central Prison over the weekend.

“I am sure this will reduce the overcrowded in the prison.”

A sixteen-year-old Yohan Alison, who is on remand for murder says since 2019 he is yet to know his fate after being taken to court twice.

“Some of our colleagues have been granted bail but they are still here because there is no one to follow up on their cases,” Alison said.

“Others have been here for more than four years without going to court for trial or get a visit because some of us have families in the states,” he added.

The facility was built decades ago to house only 400 inmates.