A prison tour of Dubai

Marc Callcutt visits two new Reprieve clients in the United Arab Emirates.

Dubai and Sharjah are two emirates that have become one city. In a taxi the only way you can tell you have crossed from one to the other is the 20 dirham charge that is added to your fare. However, in terms of attitude to criminal justice, they appear to be worlds apart. There are, of course, some similarities. On my recent visit to the two Emirates I was attempting to visit two clients – one in Dubai Central Jail and one in Sharjah Central Jail, and despite both visits being arranged by the relevant embassies, neither prison expected me. However, that is about where the similarity ends.

Dubai Central Jail is a new facility out in the desert. Built three years ago, the public areas appear clean and modern. After the initial shock of the unexpected arrival of a UK lawyer wearing a suit subsided, the prison authorities were helpful. In fact, at times they were perhaps too helpful. Coming out of the Outprison after my first visit, I got in a car which I presumed was going to take me back to the main reception. It turned out he had been briefed to take me back into Dubai, a 30 minute drive, and he drove straight out of the front gate and onto the motorway. Unfortunately, my passport, wallet, phone and bag remained in the main reception. Given the driver’s inability to speak English and my inability to speak Arabic a long game of charades was required before we turned round and headed back to the prison.

The contrast with Sharjah was extreme. The prison there is small, dirty and old. My initial visit was scheduled for a Friday – the day of male family visitors. I was told that visiting hours were 9am to 12pm, and yet no prison officials even started dealing with the long line of family members until about 9:15am. After queuing for half an hour to get to the small slot in the wall where the prison guards were processing the visits, I was promptly told to go away, as I was not the client’s brother, father or son. Phone calls were made and three days later I was allowed a fifteen minute visit – a shockingly short amount of time.

On entering the jail, it was apparent that it was much more basic facility than Dubai Central Jail. The prison itself was in a state of considerable disrepair and had the feel of a place that had been renovated 20 years ago, the builders having been ordered out before they had time to clear up after themselves. Loose wires hang from the ceilings and piles of rubble have been swept into corners. The visiting room resembled a shower room in sports club built in the 1950s, all tiled with no windows and a slightly damp and rotten smell. Around the edge of the room are small tiled dividers, separating the various glass panels and telephones at which visits take place.

The difference between the two Emirates was stark, and despite the geographical proximity it is very obvious that the 2 cases we are working on are in extremely different jurisdictions.