Guinea-Bissau

• Author: George Kurian
• Pages: 458

Page 458

Official country name: Republic of Guinea-Bissau

Capital: Bissau

Geographic description: A West African country bordering the Atlantic Ocean, including the Bijagós Peninsula

Population: 1,416,027 (est. 2005)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Structure and Organization

The national law enforcement agency is the Policia de Seguranca Publica under the Ministry of the Interior. The police are poorly trained and funded and have to rely on the military for most law and order missions. The headquarters of the force is in Bissau, and there are police stations in all major urban centers. Many rural areas lack a police presence.

CRIME

Crime Statistics

Offenses reported to the police per 100,000 population: 129. Of which:

Murder: 0.5

Assault: 8.7

Burglary: 4

Automobile Theft: 0.2

CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM

Prisons are administered by the Judicial and Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice. The country does not have formal prisons. Most prisoners are detained in makeshift detention facilities on military bases in Bissau and other cities.

Prison Conditions

Many prisoners are placed in incommunicado detention. The places of detention lack running water, medical facilities, and adequate sanitation. Men, women, and juveniles are held in separate facilities, and pretrial detainees are housed with convicted felons.

George Thomas Kurian