Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Abidjan (Agenzia Fides) - The Catholic Church in Ivory Coast, through the Episcopal Commission for Social Pastoral, has been celebrating the national day of prisoners every year since 2007 on the feast of the Divine Mercy. An initiative of the Church to be closer to prisoners and show them the mercy of God. But also to highlight the existential realities of Ivorian prisons.
On the occasion of the fourteenth edition of the National Day of Prisoners, which this year should take place in the archdiocese of Gagnoa and which, for reasons related to COVID-19, could not take place, Fr. Charles Olidjo Siwa, national executive secretary of the national subcommittee on pastoral care of prisons, calls for respect for human dignity and hygiene care in Ivorian prisons.
"Let us say that there are situations in our prisons that undermine the dignity of the human person, for example overpopulation, in addition some correctional facilities in Ivory Coast are without latrines. Certainly governments make efforts that we welcome, but we think that not enough has been done. Prisoners must really be in a place of correctional facility",hopes Fr. Siwa. In fact, the theme chosen for the pastoral year 2019-2020 of the National Day of Prisoners is: "For the respect of the dignity of the human person, let us try to commit ourselves to hygiene in prison".
During the celebration of the national day of prisoners, detainees are visited in one of the country's correctional facilities, where food and meals are given. An action that was not possible due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Fr. Siwa nevertheless appeals for solidarity, inviting Christians and people of good will to support prisoners, giving prisons a more human face.
On the 8th of April, the President of the Republic, Alassane Ouattara in the fight against the coronavirus, pardoned 1000 prisoners and reduced the sentence to 1004 others.
Ivory Coast has 34 prisons and correctional facilities with a prison population of 16,800 inmates. The country's largest and most famous prison, the Correctional and Detention Center in Abidjan (MACA), designed to accommodate 1,500 inmates, today has a prison population of 7,400 prisoners. A third of the MACA prisoners (2,141 people) are in pre-trial detention. (S.S.) (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 20/4/2020)
