Mr. Matthews believes that this was because he had written about an incident in the prison which had occurred in November 1988 and in which an inmate was killed by warders. The matter was brought to the attention of the Minister for National Security , who simply referred it back to the prison authorities. The author complained to the Ombudsman and to prison authorities about lack of medical treatment, to no avail. The author contends that the prison diet and conditions of detention have contributed to a worsening of his situation. Prison authorities allegedly do not listen to, or transmit, complaints about the daily diet.
Food brought by the inmates' relatives allegedly goes to the prison officers' kitchen.
The author describes the conditions of detention as appalling and inhuman. He notes that he is 'cramped' into a small cell with four inmates, and that the cell 'leaks profusely' during rainfalls, which in turn has increased the incidence of influenza among inmates. There is no medication against influenza in the prison. The author alleges that, as a poor person, he cannot pay to file a constitutional motion or obtain legal representation for the purpose. He notes that he cannot even pay for such medication as may be available in the prison infirmary.