The african commission on human and peoples' rights and the promotion and protection of prisoners, rights an analysis

Abstract

There is an estimated one million prisoners in Africa and most of them are detained in overcrowded prisons and conditions that well below internationally accepted standards.'These prisons hold both sentenced prisoners and persons awaiting trial. What happens in prisons is usually unknown to the outside world leading to vulnerability of prisoners. For this reason, prisoners require specific recognition and protection. It is trite to say that how a society treats its prisoners, reveals a lot about its moral values, its commitment to the rule of law and democracy.'