On Jan 22, a 19-year-old man lodged a police report in George Town, Penang, that his father, an inmate at the Taiping Prison in Perak, had died from an abdominal injury caused by blunt trauma.
According to the police report, the 62-year-old was taken to Taiping Hospital, and died on Jan 17.
The report added that a post-mortem was carried out at the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh. The coroner’s report stated that the deceased had died due to an “abdominal injury due to blunt trauma.”
This police report was followed by another report from a family member of another detainee on Jan 24, who expressed concern for the safety of her loved one held at Taiping Prison. The police report was lodged in Kerian, Perak.
It is understood that some family members of inmates detained at Taiping Prison have since been denied visits by the prison authorities. They were informed that the inmates were being “quarantined.” No further explanation was provided.
To date, no official statement has been released by the prison authorities or by the Home Ministry.
Violence is not uncommon in prisons in civil democratic societies worldwide. Acts of violence in prisons are not unusual.
Most importantly, violence in prisons is not only among inmates but occasionally between inmates and prison wardens.
The following questions need to be addressed:
1. Why have the prison authorities and Home Ministry been silent about the death of the inmate?
2. Why are family members of inmates in Taiping Prison denied visitation, with the vague excuse that these inmates are under quarantine?
3. What are the factors that led to the death of this inmate?
The case described above raises several important questions that touch on both the management of our prisons and the transparency of government institutions.
I’ll explore the possible reasons behind the silence from the prison authorities and Home Ministry, the denial of visitation rights to family members, and the potential factors leading to the inmate’s death.
The silence from the prison authorities and Home Ministry may be due to several factors.
Often, when incidents such as the death of an inmate occur, the authorities might choose to remain silent while investigations are ongoing.
They may not want to release information prematurely that could jeopardise the integrity of their investigation.
This, however, can sometimes be misconstrued as withholding information from the public. It is actually done to prevent interference in the inquiry process.
Depending on the nature of the death or the possible involvement of prison staff, there may be concerns about internal or external pressure. If the death involves accusations of misconduct by prison staff, or is linked to systemic issues in the prison, the government might delay issuing statements to avoid stirring political controversy or public outrage.
Transparency is sometimes sacrificed to manage the potential fallout.
If the death was due to mistreatment or neglect within the prison system, the authorities might be concerned about the negative impact on the public image of the prison system, or the government.
Admitting or addressing violence within prisons can create a negative narrative, especially if there are allegations of brutality or human rights abuses, which would lead to increased scrutiny.
In many cases, particularly in prisons, details of incidents like these are not immediately clear.
The authorities might be waiting for a full investigation to ascertain whether the death was caused by foul play, self-harm, or a medical issue. Until this is confirmed, they may avoid releasing an official statement.
The refusal to allow family members to visit inmates under the guise of quarantine raises several concerns.
The most straightforward explanation for the quarantine could be related to a health concern, particularly infectious diseases like Covid-19, or other communicable diseases that might spread in confined spaces such as prisons.
Quarantine measures in prisons have been common since the global pandemic, and if there is a fear of disease outbreaks within the facility, visitation may be temporarily suspended for public health reasons. However, if the reason for quarantine is vague or unsubstantiated, this may be a tactic used to limit outside scrutiny or pressure from families.
Another possibility is that prison authorities might be using the quarantine excuse as a way to prevent families from obtaining information about the true conditions inside the prison.
Family visits are often a means through which information leaks out about the situation in the prison, including reports of violence or poor conditions. By limiting family access, the authorities can maintain a level of control over the narrative and prevent the spread of sensitive information that could lead to protests or media attention.
If there is an ongoing investigation into the death or other incidents at the prison, the authorities may restrict visits to avoid potential tampering with evidence or interviews with inmates who might otherwise have been willing to discuss sensitive issues. Limiting access may also be a way to prevent families from raising alarms about potential mistreatment of other inmates.
Several factors could have contributed to the death of the inmate, and these need to be examined carefully.
According to the police report, the cause of death was abdominal injury due to blunt trauma. This suggests that the inmate may have been physically assaulted. Such incidents can happen due to violence between inmates, or sometimes even at the hands of prison officers. Violence between inmates, often due to disputes over personal issues, gang conflicts, or poor prison conditions, is not uncommon in prisons worldwide.
If the injury was sustained and the inmate did not receive adequate medical treatment, this could be a contributing factor to the death. Prisons are often under-resourced, and medical care may not always be prompt or sufficient, especially for serious injuries. Delays in providing appropriate medical intervention can sometimes lead to preventable deaths.
Overcrowded conditions in prisons are a known issue that can exacerbate tensions among inmates, leading to violence. Limited space, insufficient staff, and poor living conditions can foster environments where violence is more likely to occur. Additionally, overcrowding can strain the prison’s resources, including healthcare, leading to neglect of inmates’ wellbeing.
There could be a possibility that the inmate’s death was the result of abuse by prison staff. While not always widely acknowledged, instances of prisoner abuse at the hands of guards or wardens are documented in various countries. If there was any abuse or excessive force used during the routine handling of the inmate, this could have led to the fatal injury.
While the cause of death is described as blunt trauma, it’s also important to consider whether psychological stress and mental health conditions could have been contributing factors. The high stress and trauma of being incarcerated, especially in harsh conditions, can sometimes lead inmates to harm themselves, though in this case, the injury seems to point to external factors.
The lack of transparency and the silence from prison authorities and the Home Ministry raises significant concerns about accountability and public trust.
Denying family members visitation privileges under the guise of quarantine may also be a tactic to prevent further scrutiny or to manage the narrative around the death.
The factors leading to the inmate’s death appear to be complex, involving potential violence, neglect, and poor prison conditions, but a full investigation will be needed to determine the exact cause and to hold any responsible parties accountable.
Every human life is precious. Even institutionalised inmates must be treated with humanity, and their human rights must be respected.
Those responsible for the death of this victim must be investigated without fear or favour, whether the perpetrator(s) is an inmate or a prison warden. Justice must be seen to be served.
The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the writer and do not necessarily represent that of Twentytwo13.