Now Lebanon - We will propose legislation on prison reform, says Aoun - March 5, 2011

Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun said on Tuesday that his bloc will submit three law proposals pertaining to electricity, water and prison improvement.
“The first bill calls for building two prisons, one in the North and another in the South… The second proposal pertains to water [problems], and the third is about [the country’s] electricity,” Aoun told the press following his bloc’s weekly meeting.

“There are increased numbers of prisoners and the current prisons we have are not enough. We should build more prisons from now on.”

However, the MP said that “the Finance Ministry did not account for past government spending at the appropriate time and the funds allocated for Lebanon’s prisons have not been distributed yet.”
He added that there are delays in ratifying law proposals.
“We decided to place the responsibility on the parliament, which is the first authority that can impose law proposals on the government,” Aoun said.
Protests in Roumieh’s Prison broke out yesterday for the second time in 48 hours.
Inmates at Roumieh– which is one of the biggest prisons in the Middle East and holds 4,500 inmates despite being built to hold only 1,500 – had been demanding an amnesty and better conditions.
-NOW Lebanon