Central African Republic

• Author: George Kurian
• Pages: 279

Page 279

Official country name: Central African Republic

Capital: Bangui

Geographic description: Landlocked country in central Africa, north of the Democratic Republic of Congo, part of the Lower Sahel

Population: 3,799,897 (est. 2005)

Central African Republic

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Structure and Organization

The three principal law enforcement agencies are: the National Police Force (Sûreté Nationale), which polices urban areas, the paramilitary National Gendarmerie, which polices rural areas, the Presidential Security Unit under the Ministry of Defense, and the judiciary police, which performs criminal investigation functions.

CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM

Prison Conditions

Most prisons do not have a budget for medicine and food. Police station cells where detainees are kept are in worse condition and are overcrowded. Food, clothing, and medicine intended for prisoners are often diverted by prison officials for their own use. Prisoners are often used by officials and judges as personal servants. The only prisons where prisoners receive better treatment are at Bouar and Bangassou, where religious organizations are permitted to care for them.

Prison Statistics

The largest prison is Ngaragba in Bangui, which was destroyed during 1996 mutinies and was rebuilt in 2003.

Total Prison Population (including pretrial detainees and remand prisoners): 4,168

Prison Population Rate per 100,000: 110

Pretrial Detainees: 65%

Number of Prisons: 56

Official Capacity of the Prison System: 6,000

George Thomas Kurian