CUSTOS rotulorum for Kingston Steadman Fuller has renewed his call for urgent improvements to police lock-ups after again witnessing what he described as “undignified” conditions inside the jail at Kingston Central Police Station.

More than seven years ago Fuller called for the closure of the Kingston Central police lock-up, which he said then posed health risks for the inmates and the cops who guard them.

At that time Fuller claimed that the lock-up, which had been in operation for some time, was not suited for the purpose for which it is now being used. That prompted the leadership of the police force to announce plans to improve conditions at the facility as some detainees were moved out on a temporary basis.

But on Thursday, Fuller said last week he visited the lock-up where more than 300 inmates were packed inside the cells, with little consideration for their human rights.

“There was one cell that we saw which had 12 persons in a six-by-four area, and there was not enough concrete there for them to sleep on because that was all they had. They had to find how to sleep on the floor. But worse than that, there was a term which they used, which I cannot call, but it meant that they would lack opportunities to use the toilet.

“They had only one opportunity [to use the toilet] per day in the daytime, and every cell we went to, that was the major complaint. The men there, once they had an urge after the midday let out, they suffered the indignity of having to release themselves in the cell among the others,” said an obviously disturbed Fuller.

“One thing that was obvious was that they all looked very brown. I was amazed at how they had so many brown people in one place, but then I discovered that lack of sunlight does make… your complexion lighter. I was a little bit perplexed that all of these cells that I visited, all the faces I saw were brown — and there was no reason for them to bleach,” added Fuller as he addressed a commissioning ceremony for 80 justices of the peace (JPs) for Kingston on Thursday.

He urged the new JPs to prioritise their duty to tour and report on the conditions of lock-ups.

Fuller reminded the new JPs that the responsibility of upholding the rights of detainees does not just rest with the State, and underscored that they have a role to play in preventing abuse and protecting the rights of all Jamaicans.

“I say this to let you know that you are called to serve in those ways of trying to make sure that basic human rights are not violated — that is not just abuse of rights, it is an abuse of someone’s dignity. Your job is a commitment to give a small part of your time that can, and will, make a big difference in the life of others, and doing your part to make Jamaica the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business,” said Fuller.

He called on Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Delroy Chuck, who was the guest speaker at the ceremony, to consider budget that would benefit the lock-ups.

Chuck was quick to indicate that people in police lock-ups should be treated humanely, and promised to take the issue to the authorities responsible for the maintenance of the jails.

“When I hear custos talking about 12 persons in a cell, these are innocent persons… I’m going to bring it to the attention of the Commissioner of Police [Dr Kevin Blake], and to the Minister of National Security and Peace [Dr Horace Chang] because we have to do something to ensure that that sort of indignity should not be meted out to our fellow citizens,” said Chuck.

In his charge to the new JPs, Chuck urged them to be the defenders of human rights and to assist those who have had their liberties infringed upon.

“I am saying to you too, not only within jails but when you go around and you see the human rights of anyone being infringed, report it to the public defender. That’s the task of the public defender — to ensure that the human rights of all Jamaicans are properly secured and protected,” he said.