Fights, drugs and escape attempts mark a tense year inside Morocco’s prisons

Morocco’s prison authority recorded 10,740 disciplinary violations across the country’s penitentiaries as of September 30, 2025, according to new data from the General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration (DGAPR).

The report showed that 6,017 of the cases involved assaults or violence, followed by 983 violations for breaching internal regulations and 858 related to drug possession. Other offenses included 788 cases of possession of banned objects, 975 incidents of threats or insults, and 84 cases of theft.

DGAPR also logged 4 attempted escapes, 942 incidents of self-harm, and 86 assaults on staff. The data covered 2,475 inmate complaints, of which 42 percent cited denial of medical care, 29 percent alleged mistreatment by prison staff, and 7 percent concerned detention conditions.

The agency said complaints were also filed over transfers, access to education and vocational training, and withheld personal belongings.