Prisoners at Baghlan prison in Afghanistan.
I received the following email communication today from my contact within SIGAR (Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction) regarding ongoing issues and concerns at Baghlan prisons complex in Afghanistan – built with millions of dollars in US taxpayer funds:
Classification: DECLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE
Today, SIGAR released a safety alert letter on the $11.3 million Baghlan prison, built with a Department of State contract. The letter notes:
–Review of contract files found design & construction defects and the prison showed serious structural damage, including wide cracks.
–Employee & prisoner safety is jeopardized because the prison is built in the second-highest earthquake zone in Afghanistan.
–State Dept plans call for using the same construction materials & methods when rebuilding facilities, but SIGAR urges using steel reinforced masonry.
–SIGAR was unable to conduct a physical inspection of the prison because of security concerns.
Alert Letter: http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/audits/SIGAR-14-45-AL.pdf
Photos of the Prison: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sigarhq/sets/72157643305304265/
Additionally, Inspector General Sopko will be testifying before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security tomorrow, April 3, at 10:00 a.m. EST.