Morocco prison population exceeds 102,000
Overcrowding reaches 158% as prison chief urges judges to reduce pretrial detentions.
Morocco's prisons held 102,941 inmates by the end of October, a rise from 98,692 a year prior, according to prison chief Mohamed Saleh Tamek. The national occupancy rate now stands at 158%, with some facilities exceeding 300% capacity. This strain impacts basic services, security, and daily operations.
Tamek informed lawmakers on Wednesday that the increasing inmate numbers are a primary obstacle to improving prison conditions. The growing population also burdens infrastructure, equipment, and staff, while escalating operating costs. He urged judicial authorities to decrease reliance on pretrial detention and utilize alternative sentences more effectively.
Despite legal reforms and the application of alternative sentences to 3,408 individuals between January and September, the prison population continues to grow. Automatic sentence reductions have benefited 152,487 cases, leading to 12,547 releases, but these measures are insufficient to curb the trend. Tamek stated that addressing the factors driving the growing number of people entering the prison system is necessary, not just expanding capacity or releasing inmates.
Why it mattersMorocco's prison overcrowding strains resources and affects the daily lives and conditions of over 102,000 inmates.