Government says any immediate changes to remand conditions in Suva's Korovou Prison would be likely to come from a portion of its budgetary allocation later in the year.

State Minister for Prisons and Correction Services, Inoke Luveni said because of budgetary constraints, there could not be any immediate changes to the remand cell conditions.

"A lot of people are just looking at it from the prisoner's side of it without realising the tight budget we have to work with,'' said Mr Luveni.

He said he expected remand conditions at Korovou prison to be upgraded from a portion of the $5m it wants allocated for work including the gradual phased out relocation of prisoners from Korovou to Naboro.

High Court Judge, Nazhaat Shameem this week released six remand prisoners because conditions they had been kept in were deemed unfit for human habitation.

She also warned that she would consider similar applications for bail in the future by prisoners in remand in light of conditions.

A report by the Human Rights Commission last week revealed, among others things, that water seeped through walls in holding blocks and that prisoners shared rooms and a bucket in which to pass urine.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Moses Driver said "that is the decision of the court and we have to respect it.

Non-Government Organisations said Justice Shameem's decision reflected the lack of effort made by the Government to improve conditions for inmates.

Fiji Woman's Rights Movement co-ordinator Shamima Ali said the issue highlighted an issue that seemed to have been swept under the carpet by appropriate authorities for decades.

Ms Ali said the deplorable conditions in prison remand cells had not changed since the Fiji Human Rights Commission, which she is a member of, was formed 22 years ago.

"Nothing has been done to improve it despite the matter being raised time and time again over the years,'' she said.

Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) Coordinator Hassan Khan said a sad consequence of the situation was that it seemingly undermined the efforts of the police in trying to contain crime since an upsurge of lawlessness in recent months.

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