40% rise in prisoners in Morocco

There has been a 40 per cent increase in the number of prisoners being held in Moroccan jails over the last ten years, an official from the prison administration revealed.

The Delegate General of the Prison Administration and Reintegration, Mohamed Saleh Tamek, said: “The continuous rise in inmate numbers is the most prominent challenge faced by the prison administration, as the number of inmates as of last year reached 89,000 prisoners.”

He noted that there had been a 40 per cent increase in the number of inmates over the past ten years, while funding for the prison service had remained stagnant during that period, according to Hespress newspaper.

This means, he explained, that major efforts are required to carry out tasks related to security, safety, nutrition services, health care and rehabilitation with the highest level of professionalism and efficiency.

The number of inmates in Morocco was recorded at 89,711 inmates in October, compared to 84,990 in December 2020.

Human rights organisations have noted that the occupancy of Morocco’s 78 prisons has reached 113 per cent and may be over 200 per cent in some prisons.

Morocco: MP proposes bill to pardon Hirak prisoners