“He Died Two Days Later”: Ex-Prisoners Share Their Disturbing Experiences While Incarcerated

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“I spent 27 days in minimum security in Dubai before I was lifted by my country’s consulate. Minimum security was run by head inmates; each wing had two chiefs. The wings weren’t allowed to mix in general, but when I arrived, they were on ‘good behaviour,’ and the chiefs had negotiated having the wings joined, so it was like an open prison. On day 12 of my stay, someone from my wing was accused of stealing from the other wing, and all hell broke loose. The longer-term residents who had been chill were suddenly all over each other. The guy who was accused was basically being lynched and had to be rescued. There was a massive brawl; people had weapons like broom handles and sharpened phone cards. Both wings got locked down. Some people got hospitalized…”

“The problematic aspect was that the wing chiefs had to resolve the issue to satisfy the corrections officers; they reached a verdict that the accused person would be flogged, regardless of whether the allegations were proven or not. I don’t know if the guy actually did anything or not, but two days later, he was taken outside to the exercise yard, and the other inmates whipped him with a cane until he passed out. Then the wings were opened again, and everything returned to normal.

That wasn’t as bad, though, as being inside the Bur Dubai police station. I was in there for 11 days waiting to be charged. Each wing of the station had 12 beds; it wasn’t designed to hold people, but there were approximately 400 people in there. Some of them were on transfer from max to minimum security, some were waiting for charges; it was a mix of creditors, people addicted to drugs, murderers, with no classification or separation at all. 

One wing was strictly for Khaleeji locals and was significantly less populated. There was someone in that wing being raped every night — his screams would echo around the whole complex. I don’t know how long he was in there; some people at that station had been there a long time.”

—u/Gr0und0ne