Georgia’s Public Defender has recommended authorities provide better living conditions for inmates at the #7 prison.
An investigation of the 7th penitentiary facility revealed the ventilation system was ineffective, some cells were damp and inmates did not have enough warm clothes.
Georgia’s Ombudsman Ucha Nanuashvili appealed to the Minister of Corrections to rectify these and other problems at the jail.
Nanuashvili said the National Mechanism of Prevention of the Public Defender’s Office found the issues after monitoring the prison.
Furthermore, Nanuashvili said there were no shelves in the cells and prisoners’ items and food were left on the floor or beds. Hygiene norms were also violated.
"There were cases when inmates with tuberculosis were placed with the healthy ones,” Nanuashvili said.
The Public Defender said besides poor living condition, inmates complained prison administration staff had been rude to them.
Unscheduled monitoring was also conducted at Geguti prison. Once completed, a report would be compiled and results would be released, Nanuashvili said.
In the meantime, he noted: "Unfortunately prisoner’s rights were violated by other prisoners in that case”.