Morocco to Consider Release of Mentally Ill Inmates in Penal Code Reform

During an intervention at the upper house of the Commission on Justice, Legislation and Human Rights, Minister Mohamed Benabdelkader announced that the government has given its approval for the examination of this bill and the introduction of amendments to the Penal Code.

To this end, the Minister of Justice has proposed the establishment of a mixed technical commission, which will be composed of members of the parliamentary commission on justice, legislation and human rights and representatives of his department, reports Al Massae. Its task will be to thoroughly study and enrich the bill before its adoption.

Abdellatif Ouammou, coordinator of the Grouping of Progressive Action within the House of Advisors, also a PPS advisor, is the initiator of this bill. It aims to release between 3,000 and 4,600 inmates suffering from mental disorders. After their release, they will first be entrusted to specialized hospitals, before returning to their families of origin. Inmates who find themselves in a state of dementia following their incarceration or who have committed a crime in a state of dementia are also concerned by this measure.