The area devoted to each Moroccan prisoner has increased by 40% from 1.67 to 2 square meters, according to the recent penitentiary report “Situation of prisons in Morocco in the light of international standards, national legislation and the need for reforms (2016-2020).”
The report is the result of cooperation between the Center for Human Rights and Democracy Studies (CEDHD), the Geneva Center for Security Sector Governance (DCAF), and the General Delegation for Prison Administration and Rehabilitation (DGAPR), and exposes the reforms in prison infrastructure has witnessed in the last 4 years.
According to the report, which highlights the main reasons behind prison overcrowding in the country, 20 new prison facilities have been built, while over 300 were closed.
This move “improved the carceral capacity, which reached a little over 169,000 square meters in 2020 compared to 120,780 m2 in 2013.”
“The increase in the individual space per inmate has had a positive impact on the important wellbeing criteria such as ventilation, lighting, and access to facilities.”
As for the food budget per inmate, the report indicates that it has increased 92%, going from MAD 12 to MAD 23, as catering for the prisoners has since been outsourced to private contractors.
Regarding the development of human resources within the prisons system, the DGAPR reports “the recruitment of 2,651 new officials during the 2014-2019 period, with increasingly diversified specializations and a development of recruitment mechanisms.”
Regarding healthcare in prisons, the report acknowledges the existence of a significant disparity in prisoners’ access to medical and health-related care, due to the disparities in prisons’ infrastructure across the country, in addition to the availability of equipment and health.
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