Papua New Guinea's Correctional Service Minister has urged police to speed up processing of court cases.
PNG Corrections Minister, Chris Nangoi Photo: PNG Govt
Chris Nangoi has acknowledged that lengthy delays in cases coming to trial are building up frustrations among people remanded in prison who end up trying to escape.
Chris Nangoi's call comes after yet another mass jailbreak from a PNG prison.
Eleven inmates were shot dead while at least 34 escaped in a breakout from Lae's Buimo ail last Friday.
The majority of those who escaped, and those killed, were remandees.
Discussion on recent jailbreaks in PNG on Dateline Pacific
The National newspaper reported that the minister admitted "most of the escapees are innocent", "yet to be proven guilty in court", and so "the State is taking away lives of those innocent remand prisoners".
He has issued reminders for police and the judiciary including that people on remand should not be taken to prison without a completed court file, also that chargable offences should be processed within three months.
Reception area at Buimo Jail Photo: Human Rights Watch