Morocco’s Prison Population Hits All-Time High of 85,767 Inmates

10 November 2019 – bySylvanus@Bladi · 2 min read

The number of detainees in Morocco reached a record high in September, according to figures provided by Mohamed Salah Tamek, Delegate General for Prison Administration and Reintegration (DGAPR). In total, 85,767 people are incarcerated.

According to Mohamed Salah Tamek, Delegate General for Prison Administration and Reintegration (DGAPR), this is an unprecedented record, reports the newspaper Al Massae.

He also stated that the financial resources allocated to the DGAPR, which should see an increase, have not evolved at all. As a result, the institution is facing difficulties and obstacles related to the rehabilitation of infrastructures and the continuous replacement of prisons located in urban and populated areas.

According to Mohamed Salah Tamek, the budget allocated to the DGAPR in the 2020 Finance Bill is estimated at just over 2.286 billion dirhams. 25.2% of this budget is allocated to equipment and miscellaneous expenses, while 74.8% is allocated to personnel costs.

Since this budget is not up to the level of the expenses to be incurred, the DGAPR has pleaded for an increase in financial resources and the mobilization of significant human resources.

On the infrastructure side, Mohamed Salah Tamek hinted that new prisons will be built in Oujda, Asilah, Larache with an additional capacity of 5,800 beds. A new prison will also be built in Dakhla, with a capacity of 600 beds. The completion of the restoration and rehabilitation work of the prisons of Taza, Aït Melloul, Safi, Khenifra, Taounate [...] is also part of the DGAPR’s agenda.