Lock Down

'I can't believe that the noblest impulse for man - his compassion for another - can be completely dead here'
Colonel Dax, Paths of Glory

I was given the chance to comment in writing on a report about Government training (contracted by my NGO) offered to prisoners who will provide cell based care to other prisoners living with HIV/AIDS. I note that I was not permitted by the Prison Service to attend the training session as they did not want white people there...seriously...could not speculate on what they were worried I might see.

The report reeked. The training reeks. Outdated, standardised by the numbers fluff designed for a completely different audience. No prison-context specific training discussion on things like nutrition, exercise, medical and legal support in a prison context. As I have spent the last year at my job back home working on humane detention issues with relation to prisons, excuse me for being a bit sensitive about these issues.

I made initial email comments to my manager on the substance of the training/report referencing among other things the 'UN Minimum Standards for the Treatment of Prisoners' with regards to minimum standards of how to treat sick prisoners. I said I needed to speak to our NGO staff members who were at this training session so as to confirm the quality of training which was given.

In response I was told a) our staff didn't even go to the training and b) I should not comment on the substance of the training only on the form of the report ie did it have a contents page? did it have an executive summary? did it have a nice conclusion heading? 'Stop rocking the boat Manfred and hurry up with this 'tickbox' report exercise please so the right people can get paid.'

Form over substance madness. Lamentably it happens quite a bit here. Yeah, yeah I get I work in Africa, normally I am a bit more detached but this was ridiculous. And I'm tired of it. The trainers, the NGO staff I work with...these are not poor people. They are doing (compared to our clients)very well on their Donor paid wages. Excuse me for thinking when we offer training to vulnerable prisoners with our NGO stamp on it that it should be er...relevant?

'There is a capital letter in the title page missing' Screw that. I'm drawing a line, if only for myself. I've written the negative draft report full of examples that I wanted to write and emailed it to a co-worker and my manager. Ha, they probably won't read it anyway.. Ho ho fun times (sob).I'm sure I will have to retract the draft and write a nice pat on the back one pager with a cheque clipped to the back.

I've had a good yak to a guy from our UK head office anyway about the impact of bureaucracy on the quality of the training we sanction so at least they are aware of it.

Stupid little games while a prisoner with AIDS sits in his cell, in pain because he is not taking adequate (quality and quantity) food with his anti-AIDS drugs. My tolerance for the apathy and indifference of the self interested, the well fed and the well paid here is waning...I need a vacation...where is this Kokomo place the Beach Boys keep singing about?