IMPROVING SECURITY PRISON CONDITIONS
November 16, 1992
POLICE MINISTRY STATEMENT
(Communicated by the Police foreign press liaison officer)
The following are the main points of the recommendations by the Levy
Commission regarding security prisoners:
On 27.9.92, security prisoners began a hunger strike in protest of what
they claimed are difficult conditions of imprisonment. Minister Shahal
decided to establish a committee to investigate conditions in the
security prisons. The committee included:
1. Shaul Levy, chairman advisor to the minister
2. Assistant Commissioner Dori Rahamim police representative
3. Deputy Commander Yonina Gonen police legal advisor
4. Brigadier-General Aryeh Ramot deputy coordinator of activities in
the territories
5. Commander Emmanuel Ya'akov Prisons Authority representative
6. Dr. Ya'akov Zigelbaum chief medical officer, Prisons Authority
7. GSS representative
The committee met with representatives of the security prisoners in the
prisons, recorded the demands of the prisoners and seriously discussed
all the issues raised by them with the guiding principle being not to
affect matters related to security and to deal exclusively with
humanitarian matters.
The demands were investigated via an examination of the security
implications, costs and possibilities of implementation.
The commission decided as follows:
1. To increase the length of weekly visits from 30 minutes to 45
minutes.
2. To shorten the lines for medical examinations and surgery.
3. To bring heating devices into cells within prisons known to be very
cold during the winter.
4. To enable prisoners of one family to serve their sentences in one
prison, thereby facilitating family visits.
5. To allow the entry of sport-wear and reading material.
6. To enable the entry of radios and televisions, after examination by
the Prisons Authority.
7. To study in correspond with correspondence universities in the
country.
8. To allow children under the age of six to see their parents not
behind bars.
9. To bring in warm clothes for the winter.
10. To build canopies for visiting families.
11. To bring in other cigarettes, of similar cost, besides Ascot.
12. To allow the construction of antennas.
13. To add items to the canteen.
14. To put tables into cells for eating.
15. To allow sick inmates to spend more time in the prison courtyard.
16. To allow the entry of expert Arab doctors, to be paid for by
families of the prisoners.
17. To increase the frequency of insect extermination in the branches.
18. The replace the asbestos canopy with reinforced plastic.
19. To issue fans.
20. To supply washing machines and dryers.
The commission completely rejected all claims which involved a security
risk, among them:
1. To prohibit the holding of nationalist ceremonies.
2. To receive gift packages.
3. To hold meetings without barriers or bars.
4. To receive satellite broadcasts from Arab countries.
5. To reduce the number of people per cell.
The commission also rejected other demands.
Further, this is an opportune time to clarify a number of fabrications
recently issued:
1. Televisions in the cells of isolated prisoners were in place before
the commission began its work, without connection to the hunger strike.
2. Prisoners have not been allowed to bring in food, only spices
something which was also customary in the past.
The conclusions and recommendations of the commission were unanimously
formulated by the commissioner of the Prisons Authority and
representatives of the security branches.
The report of the commission was presented for the perusal of the prime
minister.
The matter of the strike was discussed by the Knesset Defense and
Foreign Affairs, and Interior Committees.
Police Minister Moshe Shahal accepted the recommendations of the
commission, and thanked the commission for its thorough work.
The commissioner of the Prisons Authority has begun the implementation
of the recommendations.
Thorough analysis of the report indicates that the principle determined
by the police minister according to which there can be no compromise
on security-related matters stood at the head of the recommendations
by the commission, and that all the recommendations relate only to the
humanitarian field.
The police minister invited the chairman of the Knesset Interior
Committee and members of the commission to tour the prisons soon.