DRC Releases 1,685 Ailing Prisoners Amid Overcrowding Crisis

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Tuesday released 1,685 mostly ill inmates from Makala Central Prison as part of efforts to address severe overcrowding, Jurist News reported.

Justice Minister Constant Mutamba announced the release, highlighting that these prisoners received immediate medical care and transportation home.

Makala Central, designed for 1,500 inmates, housed over 12,000 as of October 2023, leading to critical human rights violations, including inadequate food, water, and medical supplies, as reported by Amnesty International. The facility also improperly accommodates men, women, and children together, violating United Nations standards for prisoner treatment.

The DRC government is implementing a plan to alleviate overcrowding through rehabilitation, transferring inmates to facilities with more capacity, and constructing new prisons. This decision follows a significant escape attempt earlier in September.