Overcrowded prison populations worry about impending ‘disaster’

End of the road: File picture of Kerobokan prison in Bali as inmates around the world fear an outbreak in their facilities. — AFP

SLEEPING shoulder-to-shoulder on the floor of a crumbling, windowless room, prison inmates in Indonesia fear an outbreak of the deadly coronavirus inside its walls is a “disaster waiting to happen”.

“It will be a breeding ground for the virus, should it get into any prison, ” said Brett Savage, locked inside Kerobokan prison known as “Hotel K” – on the Indonesian island of Bali, where 1,500 inmates occupy blocks built for 350 people.