Water and power outages in the Qarchak Prison of Varamin have caused numerous problems for the women detained in this prison, including various illnesses.
Reports from this prison indicate that lengthy power cut-offs happen at least twice a week in this prison. When the power is out, water is out, too.
Due to power outages, inmates cannot use air conditioning as well despite summer’s heat. The detainees faint and go unconscious when the power outages last too long. The situation is particularly difficult for the women whose children are with them in this prison.
An informed source said, “The air conditioners are out of order and prisoners suffer during the summer heat. This condition aggravates when the water is out because of power cut-off. Some inmates have become ill due to the hot weather.”
As mentioned in previous reports, Qarchak Prison does not have piped water. They draw water from a well. The well’s saline water is not potable. Therefore, the detainees have to buy mineral water, each bottle for 1,000 Tomans, from the prison’s store. Many women have contracted skin diseases after drinking the saline well water.
The abysmal sanitary conditions in the prison plus the frequent water and power outages have made life intolerable for mothers who have children.
In the summer, some of the children have diarrhea and vomit. The prison’s clinic, however, does not do anything for sick children and their mothers.
Red meat omitted from the meals
The low quality of food is another problem the detainees face in the notorious Qarchak Prison.
Red meat has been omitted from their meals. Some meals contain a very small amount of chicken. But usually, they use soy beans to prepare the food. Every other day, there is a meal of soy and rice.
Therefore, the inmates have to buy their own food despite their financial straits and cook without having suitable cooking tools and appliances. Very often, women buy canned food from the store, something that endangers their health.
Moreover, the price of food items in the prison store is triple the price outside.
Due to the bad quality of food, the lack of sanitation, and the low level of hygiene in the prison, infections and intestinal diseases have become prevalent among the inmates.
