𝐅𝐂𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆, 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 & 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐔𝐕𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐄

The Acting Commissioner of Corrections, Mr Auta Moceisuva and the Permanent Secretary of National Planning, Development & Statistics, Mr Peni Sikivou together with senior staff members conducted a ground visit and later met this morning to discuss possible solutions to relocate the Suva CC.

The Suva CC has a recurring problem emanating from flooding and sewer spillage each time there was heavy rain and flash floods.

“We have had to constantly move inmates out of the dormitory located on the low lying area because of heavy rains”, said Acting Commissioner Moceisuva.

“This exercise had to be repeated constantly and has caused inconvenience to the inmates who are cramped into other facilities which are already overcrowded”. “In Suva CC this morning there are 330 inmates in custody against an approved capacity of 280 signifying an overcrowding situation”, Acting Commissioner, Moceisuva added.

“The entire drainage and sewer system needs serious realignment but that will only exacerbate the problems given the growth of developnents around the area and that has constrained the space for expansion”, said Acting Commissioner, Moceisuva.

The Ministry of National Planning and FCS established a Working Committee to consider the option for the relocation of the Suva CC to Naboro with a corresponding task to submit a comprehensive report that captures developments of road infrastructures, institutional buildings with modern facilties for rehabilitation purposes, court facilties, staff quarters, emergency support facilties and other amenities necessary to cater for the functional operations of the proposed new facility.

Following the completion of the report a joint Cabinet Paper by the Ministry of National Planning and FCS will be submitted to government with a phased implementation plan to realize the proposed relocation.

“The FCS understand its commitments required by the UN Minimum standards but the continuation of the problem faced could potentially cite Fiji of violating basic standards required of our correctional facilities and for security reasons, the proposed facility should ideally be located on a suitable new area considering the cost implication”, said Acting Commissioner Moceisuva.