ayalon-prison2-cc-by-sa-zion-haleviWhat does it mean to live in a space that is 3 square meters in size?  This week we received a conditional court order in the petition that we filed with our fellow organizations about severe overcrowding in Israeli prisons.
The court obligated the state to explain why they have not formulated a plan to ensure prisoners and detainees with adequate living space in prison cells within a reasonable time. Attorney Anne Suciu represented ACRI in the petition.
A few statistics: In democratic countries, the accepted standard for prisoner living space is an average of 8.8 square meters. According to the professional opinion of the Prison Service, adequate living space should be 6 square meters per prisoner. International law prescribes a minimum of 4.3 square meters.
What is the situation in Israel? The average living space is 3 square meters, and most prisoners detained in Israel are held in an area of less than 3 square meters per person – including a bed, closet, toilet and shower. Not only are we very far behind advanced countries, but the standards are below the minimum required to prevent “cruel and inhumane punishment” in accordance with the Convention against Torture – to which Israel is a signatory.
So what does it mean to live in an area of 3 square meters? Many prisoners are forced to maintain their daily routines in their beds, and even eat in bed. It is almost impossible to walk around their cells. Several people cannot stand at the same time in the cramped space and they cant even stretch their arms. You can only imagine the crowdedness, stuffiness and stress in the cells – most of which have over 5 beds. This situation has health and psychological consequences for the prisoners. The State authorities have been aware of the situation for decades and yet no significant steps have been taken to improve the situation in the last 10 years.
The Supreme Court ruled long ago that a ‘person’s rights do not stop at the prison gates.’ A person who breaks the law pays their debt to society through incarceration, which seriously compromises their rights to freedom and autonomy. However their basic rights remain and must not be violated, including the right to dignity. A decade ago the Supreme Court accepted a petition we filed along with Physicians for Human Rights, and ordered the state to provide a bed for every prisoner and to prevent the humiliation of them lying on the floor. I hope that this time we can ensure that Israeli prisoners and detainees are provided with the minimal conditions necessary to maintain and respect their dignity.
Yours,
Sharon
Sharon Abraham-Weiss
Executive Director
Association for Civil Rights in Israel
