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IDP Prisoners have no Access to Meager Social Assistance

October 24, 2008

Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi 

 
Approximately 4 months ago prisoner IDPs at Kutaisi Prison # 2 were asked a question regarding the state social assistance which is only 14- GEL. This is the amount of money all registered IDPs, prisoners and non-inmates are to receive every month. After this question was raised, the prisoners still have not received any social assistance whatsoever.
 

Prisoner IDPs were asked: what do you prefer to receive the money yourself in the prison or that your family members received it. Of course, a prisoner prefers to have some money at hand in order to buy some food in prison and not to starve. Most IDP prisoners said they prefered to take the money while in prison. However, 4 months have passed since and they have received the old amount of social assistance of 14 GEL nor a twofold assistance money, which would be a total of 28 GEL per month. Prisoners continue to live under the most terrible of conditions; they are half starving and this is a most unfortunate situation. It seems that nobody cares about their dire situation. Everyone knows that they live under the most difficult of conditions. I am not the only one to to make this statement. However, nothing ever changes in the end,“ said a wife of a prisoner serving out his sentence in Kutaisi Prison # 2.

Prisoners do not know who came to them and asked the above-mentioned question. They simply told that they respresented themsevels to be from the Committee for IDPs.

I immediately contacted Davit Aptsiauri, head of Imereti Regional Division of the Ministry of Refugees and Accomodation after having been told this  . He confirmed that those people came from the Ministry of Refugees and Accomodation. However, the ministry representatives told us that they know nothing and that People’s Bank is the decision maker in this case. The thing is that prisoners can not receive their money. This money is very imortant for them as they can buy some food with these mere allocations of money.   If prisoners received 14 GEL at hand why cannot they receive 28 GEL? Asks Manana Managadze, chairperson of Kutaisi Prison # 2 Monitoring Council.

It turned out that not only IDP prisoners but also other prisoners have difficulties with receiving money. Sometimes they receive money late or do not receive the funding at all.

„By the way prisoners can not take the money that is sent by their own relatives. One prisoner told me that no money has been transacted on his account since August 6. So this problem must have been settled. We will investigate the problem and take appropriate measures,“ stated Manana Managadze.  She also informed that a list of IDP prisoners is being made in Kutiasi Prison # 2 which will be handed over to the prison monitoring council.

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