Prison population at an all-time high
The Moroccan department of corrections (General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration, DGAPR) is overwhelmed by the number of inmates. DGAPR has just published a press release in which it declares that the prison population has reached historic levels and amounted on August 07 to 100,004 prisoners for a national capacity of 64,600.
This is a historical record. It is in Casablanca that the situation is most critical. Indeed, the local prison of Aïn Sebaâ currently hosts 10,877 prisoners for a capacity of barely 3,800 beds, almost triple the capacity of this correctional facility.
It should be remembered that as of November 30, the number of inmates reached 98,770, which was already a record in itself ( See L’Economiste issue #°6404 of 06 Dec. 2022 ). Prison overstaffing has therefore reached abysmal figures despite the efforts of DGAPR aimed at expanding and modernizing the national correctional facilities. The rate of increase in the number of inmates is not about to fade anytime soon. DGAPR says it expects an upward trend if the pace of arrests continues at the same current rate and if no urgent measures are taken to solve the problem of overcrowding in the country’s prisons.
The alert issued by the prison authorities is explained by the consequences of overcrowding, which are numerous. In addition to the promiscuity in the prisons which calls into question the conditions of detention, DGAPR is faced with a priority: to manage the very worrying situation of the prisons and to avoid potential outbreaks. Since the correctional staff is not sized for a population of this magnitude, the risks of insecurity cannot be ruled out. DGAPR must also deal with the degradation of accommodation and food for inmates. It should not be forgotten either that the authorities must certainly encounter many difficulties in ensuring proper medical care for prisoners during their period of detention. Added to this is the difficulty of deploying the prisoner support program in optimum conditions, to prepare for their social reintegration once they have been released. In the absence of sufficient means and favorable conditions, prisons tend to become an environment that encourages recidivism once inmates are released. Another consequence of the overcrowding situation is the cost generated by the exploding prison population. The Moroccan department of corrections finally clearly expresses its concern about the growth of the prison population and calls on the judicial and administrative authorities to quickly find solutions to this problem, to avoid situations spiraling out of control.
Hassan EL ARIF
