Morocco Proposes Alternative Sentences to Reduce Prison Overcrowding

The new text proposed by the Ministry of Justice aims to update actions in the field of rights and freedoms, reports Al Ahdath Al Maghribia, specifying that the sanctions provided for concern offenses whose sentences do not exceed 2 years in prison. The convicted person makes certain commitments in exchange for his freedom, according to conditions that take into account the nature of the offense and require the consent of the detainee, it is specified.

Among the non-custodial sentences, the amendment provides for community service, daily fines, electronic monitoring as well as the limitation of certain rights or the imposition of restrictive, therapeutic or rehabilitation measures.

In detail, community service will be imposed on the convicted person aged 15 years or more at the time of the crime. The detainee must perform unpaid work, ranging from 40 to 600 hours, for the benefit of state services, rights and freedoms protection organizations, as well as other associations or non-governmental organizations. As for the second alternative sentence, it gives the courts the possibility of sentencing the accused to pay a fine of 100 to 2,000 dirhams for each day of custodial sentence imposed on him. The bill requires the convicted person to pay this amount within a period not exceeding three months.

Regarding electronic monitoring, it would prevent the convicted person from the disadvantages of short-term custodial sentences, while the fourth non-custodial sentence allows the court to pronounce judgments limiting certain rights or imposing restrictive measures on the convicted person, such as the exercise of a specific professional activity, the pursuit of studies or training, etc.