Audit Reveals Severe Overcrowding and Mismanagement in Morocco’s Prison System

The situation prevailing within the penitentiary establishments (EP) of Morocco is of concern to more than one person. According to Aujourd’hui Le Maroc, which reports the information, anomalies are located at several levels.

Indeed, in terms of governance, the Court found that the Interministerial Commission responsible for Strengthening the Performance of Penitentiary Establishments and Improving the Conditions of Detainees has been delayed by 10 years in its operationalization.

Another worrying remark is the supervision rate within prisons (ratio between the number of officials and the number of detainees) which is limited to 14%.

According to the Court of Auditors, this rate remains relatively low compared to European practices, the lowest rate of which is set at around 34.83%. But it also found vacancies in several management positions, as well as the lack of appointment of directors of the central administration.

To this are added serious shortcomings in the basic security infrastructures, mainly related to insufficient coverage of prisons by watchtowers, and a lack of their upgrading, as well as a lack of perimeter security areas.

These visits carried out by the Court in certain penitentiary establishments have also shown the insufficiency of electronic anti-intrusion control means and video surveillance systems. Indeed, 39 prisons do not have X-ray scanners.

In addition to the shortcomings noted in the infrastructure and medical equipment in the EPs, necessary for improving the health care of detainees, the Court also noted the almost general absence, in the majority of the EPs visited, of minutes of receipt of food which are the responsibility of the Control Commission.

Finally, as for the budget credits opened for the benefit of the preparation for the reintegration of detainees, the Court found that they are not used.

So many dysfunctions that call more than one official at various levels and in the face of which the Court of Auditors does not intend to back down.