Locked Down in a Tough Position

One of the greatest challenges facing the United States, its NATO allies, and the Afghan government is how to handle what is sure to be a rising prison population.  The US/NATO troop surge has been followed by more aggressive efforts to take back Taliban-dominated areas and these missions have inevitably led to an increase in arrests of insurgents.  The current Afghan prison system and US controlled detention centers (specifically Bagram Air Base) have many issues that go well beyond just capacity and the Obama administration has rightfully begun to look at an overhaul.

In that regard, scholar Max Boot has provided serviceable advice by using American adjustments in Iraq as a prime example of a system that could work in Afghanistan, though the latter has distinct challenges, which will need to be addressed.  Boot describes the major overhaul of the Iraqi prison system led by Major General Douglas Stone soon after the Abu Ghraib mess.  Stone…

“…segregated detainees based on threat level–the hard-core
jihadists were moved away from the small fry so they could not
influence them. Moderate Islamic leaders were brought in to preach
nonviolence and to counteract jihadist indoctrination. Panels of
officers were set up to review all detentions and arrange for release
of prisoners deemed no longer a threat. (Tribal elders or -others had
to vouch for their continued good conduct, which helps explain why the
recidivism rate has been extremely low.) For those still stuck behind
barbed wire, family visits were not only allowed but encouraged,
providing a morale boost and dispelling rumors of mistreatment.
First-rate medical care was offered–equivalent to that received by
U.S. troops. Educational and vocational programs were set up to keep
prisoners busy and to teach them skills they could use to get a job…”

For the most part, Boot argues that such a system could be instituted in Afghanistan.  Boot is not naïve and acknowledges that current Afghan state and US/NATO forces lack many features that are either necessary or extremely helpful in making this change possible.

Though Boot concentrates on NATO and US legal restrictions (for NATO forces are scared of their own Abu Ghraib catastrophe and US courts have partly ruled that some Bagram prison detainees may have habeas corpus rights), and he is right to give them their due attention, but the tremendous infrastructure problems in Afghanistan are what will really challenge an efficient prison system reform and build up.  Afghanistan lacks trained judges, lawyers, prison wardens, security staff, along with any real substantial institutions that have proven themselves for any real length of time.  Jails can be built quickly if one has the resources, but these other attributes take time.  Time itself is a resource that many in the West seem to be running low on.