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Morocco's Prison System Overwhelmed Despite Population Drop
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Crime & Justice

Morocco's Prison System Overwhelmed Despite Population Drop

From ABC Color · (10h ago) Spanish Critical tone

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Morocco has reduced its prison population below 100,000 for the first time in over a decade, but overcrowding persists.
  • The reduction is attributed to mass pardons and alternative sentencing laws, which critics argue favor those who can afford fines.
  • Despite the lower numbers, prisons remain severely overcrowded, leading to increased violence, deaths in custody, and inadequate healthcare.

Morocco's prison system is facing a critical juncture, grappling with persistent overcrowding despite a recent decrease in the overall inmate population. While the number of prisoners has fallen below 100,000 for the first time in over a decade, official reports reveal a stark reality: an average of 10 beds for every 15 inmates. This statistic, highlighted in the latest report from the General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration (DGAPR), paints a grim picture of a system under immense strain.

For the first time in more than a decade, Morocco has reduced its prison population below 100,000 inmates, but the official statistics confirm that overcrowding persists, with 10 beds for 15 inmates on average, hundreds of deaths in custody, and a profound crisis of the system.

— EFEReporting on the state of Morocco's prison system.

The reported decline in prisoner numbers, a decrease of 5.45% from the previous year, is largely a result of significant policy shifts, including mass pardons and the implementation of alternative sentencing laws. However, civil society organizations argue that these measures, particularly alternative sentencing, disproportionately benefit those with financial means, effectively creating a system where freedom can be bought. This raises serious questions about equity and justice within our penal system.

The prison occupancy rate reaches 153% on average, meaning about 10 beds for every 15 inmates, although human rights organizations denounce extreme situations, such as in the Aïn Sebaâ prison in Casablanca, where it reaches 300% - cells designed for 10 people house 30 inmates.

— EFEDescribing the severity of overcrowding in Moroccan prisons.

The consequences of this persistent overcrowding are dire. Human rights organizations report extreme situations in some facilities, with cells designed for ten inmates housing up to thirty. This severe lack of space forces prisoners to sleep on floors and in corridors, contributing to a rise in self-harm and violence within prisons. Furthermore, the report details a significant increase in deaths under custody and hunger strikes, alongside a surge in inmate complaints, many related to inadequate medical care. The scarcity of mental health professionals—just 57 psychologists for 74 prisons—exacerbates these issues, leaving a large number of inmates without essential psychological support. As ABC Color, we believe it is imperative to address these systemic failures to ensure a just and humane correctional system for all.

An inmate in Morocco has barely 1.8 square meters, less than half the minimum required by international standards.

— EFEDetailing the minimal living space allocated to prisoners.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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