US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD2829

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 002829 
 
SIPDIS 
 
REL/GBR AUS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2015 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, IZ, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: RUSAFA PRISON CONDITIONS SURPRISINGLY GOOD 
 
REF: A. BAGHDAD 2760 
     B. BAGHDAD 1681 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Robert S. Ford. 
Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) 
 
1. (C/REL GBR, AUS) SUMMARY: Iraqi Correctional 
Service (ICS) Deputy Director General Nadhem Reshid 
Jebur told EmbOffs during a June 28 visit to the 
Rusafa men's prison in Baghdad that ICS is serious 
about instilling a culture of respect for human 
rights within its organization.  New employees are 
screened and receive extensive human rights 
training, and special programs exist to help long 
term employees overcome the 'Saddam mentality.' 
There are several mechanisms available to prisoners 
to report allegations of abuse, including the 
Internal Affairs Unit and human rights ombudsmen who 
are resident in each facility, and ICS social 
workers.  Nadhem stated that prison capacity is 
insufficient and worried how ICS will accommodate 
the proposed transfer of MNF detainees.  Conditions 
at Rusafa, which is considered by Nadhem and DOJ 
advisors to be a model facility, are good.  However, 
medical staff reported that the majority of 
prisoners they examine upon intake display some sign 
of 'trauma,' which the prisoners claim is 
perpetrated by the police.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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INSTILLING A CULTURE OF RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
2. (C/REL GBR, AUS) During a June 28 visit to 
Baghdad's Rusafa prison, Deputy Director General 
Nadhem Reshid Jebur told EmbOffs that creating a 
culture of human rights within the ICS continues to 
be a priority at the highest levels of ICS 
management.  He noted that there is a lack of 
understanding -- both among ICS personnel and 
inmates -- about what freedom really entails, as 
well as how to meld human rights with the law. 
Nonetheless, ICS officials continue to emphasize 
human rights and are working to eradicate the 
'Saddam mentality' from its ranks. 
 
3. (C/REL GBR, AUS) Nadhem said there are several 
mechanisms in place to facilitate this shift.  New 
employees are given psychological exams, he said, to 
help determine their propensity for engaging in 
abusive behavior.  He also said that approximately 
one-half of the six-week course for new employees 
comprises human rights training.  Employees who were 
part of ICS under the former regime also receive 
special training and attention.  Nadhem estimated 
the effectiveness of programs targeting these 
employees to be approximately 70 percent and 
admitted that some reluctance remains among them to 
implement international human rights standards. 
Those employees who continue to resist the new, 
human rights-oriented approach are either moved to 
different facilities or receive some form of 
administrative punishment. 
 
4. (C/REL GBR, AUS) Nadhem noted that the Ministry 
of Human Rights (MoHR) has been actively engaged 
with ICS.  Some facilities have embedded MoHR 
employees, as does Rusafa, and all have a human 
rights ombudsman -- an ICS employee.  In addition to 
the ICS' Internal Affairs Unit that investigates 
abuse complaints, there is a board comprising 
Ministry of Justice (MoJ), MoHR and Ministry of 
Interior (MoI) representatives that reviews 
allegations of prisoner abuse. (NOTE: It was not 
clear if Nadhem meant that there is one board that 
investigates abuse allegations or if the boards are 
specific to each facility.  END NOTE.)  Nadhem 
emphasized that ICS has a very good relationship 
with Saad Hussein, who oversees the MoHR team that 
is responsible for monitoring prisons. 
 
5. (C/REL GBR, AUS) Prisoners have an additional 
mechanism for reporting incidents of abuse, said 
Nadhem.  There are 460 ICS social workers, similar 
to caseworkers in the U.S. model, to whom each 
prisoner is assigned.  According to Nadhem, the 
social workers meet with prisoners daily, 
emphasizing that they (prisoners) are vocal in 
reporting any mistreatment by ICS staff. (COMMENT: 
During a tour of the facility, one prisoner 
expressed his unhappiness to PolOff that 
condensation from the air conditioner was dripping 
onto his mattress.  He did not hesitate to take 
advantage of the opportunity to complain to 
visitors, nor did he show any hint of fear that he 
would be punished for doing so.  Prison officials 
seemed equally nonplussed as they explained to 
PolOff what the inmate was complaining about.  END 
COMMENT.) 
 
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LACK OF CAPACITY WORRISOME 
-------------------------- 
 
6. (C/REL GBR, AUS) Nadhem told EmbOffs that the 
biggest problem currently facing ICS is capacity. 
He worried that ICS would be overwhelmed should the 
Iraqi Government take custody of MNF detainees as 
proposed.  For example, he said, Rusafa 1 has the 
capacity for 396 prisoners and currently houses 378. 
However, he was expecting to intake 70 additional 
prisoners into the facility.  (NOTE: MNF's proposal 
for the transition of detention operations is 
premised on Iraqi ownership of current Coalition 
detention facilities and the Coalition-funded 
training of at least 2,000 additional correctional 
personnel.  However, MNF is concerned that the 
number of detainees may significantly increase due 
to ongoing operations.  END NOTE.) The problem of 
overcrowding is exacerbated by the lack of a 
classification system.  Although there is some 
attempt to separate hardened criminals from other 
offenders, this does not occur in a systematic 
fashion. 
 
7. (C/REL GBR, AUS) Rehabilitation programs, such as 
vocational training, are needed, but, according to 
Nadhem, the space problem is so dire that it simply 
is not currently possible.  (NOTE: some vocational 
training is planned for Rusafa, as well as for other 
prisons on a limited basis.  For example, 150 
welding machines will be distributed to prisons, 
including 30 directly to Kurdistan, and last year, 
the USG provided sewing machines to the women's 
prison in Kadamiyah.  END NOTE.)  Nadhem pointed out 
that there are prisons from which Saddam emptied 
prisoners just prior to liberation that could be 
renovated to accommodate an influx of prisoners and 
alleviate current capacity problems.  However, there 
are 'squatters' in many of these structures, and it 
would be difficult to move them out.  Additionally, 
this would be a long-term project he said, but a 
solution is needed now.  (NOTE:  Two prisons are 
currently under construction.  It is estimated that 
they will be completed by March/April 2006.  The 
complex at Nasariya is a super maximum facility that 
will have 1,200 beds and house one prisoner per 
cell.  The Khan Bani Sa'ad prison is a high security 
facility that will have 1,800 beds.  END NOTE.) 
 
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PRISON CONDITIONS GOOD 
---------------------- 
 
8. (C/REL GBR, AUS) Rusafa is a prison for men and 
has a contingent of 16 DOJ prison advisors.  The 
newer modules, which have recently been constructed, 
are clean, air-conditioned, and meet U.S.-formulated 
international standards (25 square feet per person) 
for space.  There are toilets in each cell, and 
inmates are issued orange jumpsuits, a mattress, and 
linens at intake.  All the cells are barracks-style. 
The older modules were constructed over 20 years 
ago, but their exact age is unknown.  The largest 
cells in those modules house up to 80 prisoners and 
utilize air coolers.  Prisoners are allowed regular 
access to their lawyers, and male and female 
visitors are assigned separate visiting days. 
Visitors communicate with the prisoners through wire 
barriers.  Prisoners are provided at least one hour 
per day for physical activity -- sometimes more -- 
and pray either in their cells or in the exercise 
yard. 
 
9. (C/REL GBR, AUS) The Rusafa complex houses a 
health unit that employs four physicians and two 
dentists.  Physicians staff the facility from 8:30 
AM until 2:30 PM, and medics are on call after 
office hours.  According to the medical staff, all 
prisoners receive a medical examination at intake, 
and respiratory ailments tend to be the biggest 
medical problem.  However, staff also said that the 
majority of prisoners they screen show evidence of 
'trauma' that the prisoners claim is perpetrated by 
the police.  Just prior to EmbOff's visit, medical 
staff sent a new prisoner to the hospital for 
treatment.  According to the prisoner, the police 
were responsible for his leg, which had been broken 
in two places.  (NOTE:  In a separate conversation, 
DOJ advisor to the health unit confirmed that the 
majority of prisoners transferred by the police 
exhibit signs of abuse.  END NOTE.) 
 
10. (C/REL GBR, AUS) The prison complex is exempt 
from the limitations on electricity usage, but still 
has frequent outages.  Additionally, Rusafa is 
experiencing problems with sewage backups near the 
food preparation area.  Although there has been no 
indication thus far that these backups have resulted 
in health problems, there is concern about the 
possible degradation of food preparation standards 
at the facility. 
 
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COMMENT 
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11. (C/REL GBR, AUS) Overall, the conditions at 
Rusafa are surprisingly good.  It is clean, 
operations appear to be orderly, and inmate living 
spaces are generally clean and well kept.  According 
to both Nadhem and DOJ advisors, Rusafa is 
considered to be a model facility and conditions 
there are generally better than in Iraq's other 
prisons -- especially in the South.  While there are 
problems, what we saw was consistent with what MoHR 
has told us (reftels) about the conditions in ICS 
facilities.  However, it is unlikely that Rusafa 
would have met international U.S. and UN standards 
without the DOJ and ICITAP advisor presence there. 
MoJ's increased focus on human rights is clearly 
evident in the conditions of this prison, and Rusafa 
is a prime example of the difference that focused 
attention, resources, and experience can make on 
Iraq's infrastructure.  END COMMENT. 
 
12. (U) REO Hillah, REO Basrah, REO Mosul, and REO 
Kirkuk, minimize considered. 
 
Satterfield