Thirty-five prisoners at Papua New Guinea's Boram Prison in East Sepik were released over the weekend to look for food to feed themselves because of shortages at the facility.
The Baisu Correctional Facility in Mt Hagen in Papua New Guinea's Mt Hagen. Boram Prison in East Sepik holds 290 inmates. Photo: Supplied/PNG Correctional Services
Prison manager Joe Imini told the National newspaper there have been food shortages for almost two months.
The prison holds 290 inmates, mostly detainees awaiting court cases.
Mr Imini blamed the problem on the delay in the release of funds each month from the Correctional Service's headquarters in Port Moresby.
Of the 35 convicted prisoners sent out on Sunday, only one, a juvenile, is yet to return.
Mr Imini says prison staff and their families were also helping provide food for the inmates.
He says on average the facility received $US18,000 a month of funding from Port Moresby but for April the prison only received just over $US7000.