Jenin – Ma’an – The men and women and minors in the Jenin District Detention Center have been requesting chances to improve themselves, via classes and skills training, for years with no response from the any Palestinian ministry, inmates told Ma’an.

Journalists were permitted access to the Jenin facility for the first time last week, under a program with the Amin Media Network and funded by the EU. During the visit prisoners of all ages, men and women regardless of their crimes said they had sent an appeal to the Ministry of Labour to provide training courses so finding jobs would be easier when they were released.

The facility’s director Muhammad Sammour explained that the prison administration provides sewing workshop for women out of its own money, but was unable to provide other services because of lack of funds.

There are no complaints around what the prison does provide, Sammour said. Services include dentist clinics provided by the Palestinian military medical services, and since all prisoners have medical insurance, they can be transferred to a governmental hospital if they need further treatment or surgery.

The cells, he pointed out, do not meet international standards, but he called the condition acceptable given the quick development of Palestinian security services. He noted that a new center was being built in Jericho that met international standards.

The center houses 9 female prisoners, only two of which were convicted of crimes, while seven are in detention presumably awaiting trial. Sammour said the seven in detention stand accused of murder, robbery, and collaboration with Israel.

The major complaint of the women, beyond the lack of training opportunities, was their lack of visitors.

A telephone is available in one of the prison corridors, and prisoners are allowed to use it 3-4 times a week after requesting phone privileges and handing over the number they wish to call. Family and friends are allowed to visit prisoners twice a week, and who is allowed to visit the prisoner is up to the individual. Private visits of spouses and parents are allowed most of the time.

The women, however, said family rarely visited, and that they could not make use of the phone privileges because they had no one to call.

The 118 men, however, did not have the same problem.

The prison holds 85 men who are in detention and have not been tried. There are an additional 33 serving sentences for all manner of charges from collaboration to murder to petty theft.

The prison also has a separate ward for minors, though the increasing number of under 18 sometimes forces the older inmates to be mixed with the general population. The number of minors has slowly risen from 83 in 2005 to 135 in 2009.

Sammour explained that sentences could be reduced by two-thirds if prisoners exhibit good behavior. However, there are no specific indicators or standards, so it is up to the discretion of the prison director.