Abdul Haleem Kohistani, the head of Prisons and Detention Centers in Afghanistan, reported that due to corruption, prisons around the country are overcrowded, prisoners are often released prematurely and drug abuse is rampant.
Kohistani iscussed the infirmities of the prison system at a meeting of the Internal Security Commission at the Lower House of Parliament.
"Problems in Afghan prisons are to an extent that not only human rights are violated, but there isn't even any respect to animal rights," Kohistani said. "We don't even have prisons in twelve provinces; we have a lot of problems."
Meanwhile, MPs raised concerns prisoner releases based on President Hamid Karzai's decrees.
The President has been pushing a policy of endearment with the Taliban lately, releasing militant leaders in hopes of building goodwill that might hasten a reconciliation deal.
Most, however, were alarmed by the report delivered by Kohistani.
"We are aware of many problems, even instances where individuals became addicts, the smuggling of drugs into prisons resulted in their addiction," said Nazeefa Zaki, a member of the Lower House's Internal Security Commission.
"We are tyring to solve the problems; I have been the head of Pul Charkhi prison the last two months," the head of Pul Charkhi prison Sardar Muhammad Sultani told the MPs. "I can't do a miracle to solve all the problems."
Sultani was the target of harsh criticisms by the MPs gathered on Sunday.
