Prison Administration Denies Spread of Coronavirus Among Inmates

The general Delegation for penitentiary administration and reintegration (DGAPR) denied, on Thursday, the authenticity of a voice recording broadcast on social networks, entitled “urgent and dangerous: Coronavirus invades prisons,” claiming that these are false allegations “devoid of any foundation”.

In a clarification, the DGAPR states that it has mobilized all its medical and paramedical staff and all its personnel to safeguard the public health of prisoners and ensure that the new coronavirus is not transmitted to them, adding that it ensures, on a daily basis, that all prisons are disinfected to help maintain a general healthy hygiene level, in accordance with the preventive measures taken by Morocco to deal with the spread of this pandemic.

The DGAPR points out that it has taken other precautions in this regard, including the suspension of family visits, “a measure welcomed by both prisoners and their families”, adding that all prisoners are allowed to communicate permanently with their relatives via landline telephones.

Prisoners are also authorized to receive money transfers to meet their needs for the products available in the prison shops, since they all receive their meals regularly, prepared by a company specializing in this area, according to the same source.

The DGAPR also notes that any suspected cases of the new coronavirus among detainees are urgently submitted for laboratory analysis, pointing out that no cases have been reported to date.

The author of this recording is not a detainee and the publication of such “allegations and lies” is intended only to spread fear and panic and to undermine the efforts of the DGAPR and its managers, the administration stresses.