This report, the result of cooperation between the Center for Studies in Human Rights and Democracy (CEDHD), the Geneva Center for Security Sector Governance (DCAF) and the General Delegation for Prison Administration and reintegration (DGAPR), noted that the renewal of prison infrastructure is one of the Delegation’s major concerns.
In this regard, 20 new penitentiary establishments were built and 300 dilapidated establishments closed, allowing the improvement of the accommodation capacity to reach more than 169,000 square meters in 2020 once morest 120,780 m2 in 2013. Thus, the increase in the space reserved for each inmate had a positive impact on the rest of the criteria such as ventilation, lighting and facilities.
As for the food budget, the report indicates that it went from 12 to 23 dirhams (+92%), a service that has been delegated to a private provider. Likewise, he recalls the abolition of the food basket with all the problems and burdens it caused, in particular for the families of prisoners.
With regard to the development of human resources in penitentiary establishments, the DGAPR reports the recruitment of 2,651 new civil servants during the period 2014-2019 with increasingly diversified specializations and a development of recruitment mechanisms while including the dimensions educational, health, safety and recovery.
The achievements recorded reflect a political will materialized by the firm royal will to promote the situation of prisons through direct visits, the creation of the Mohammed VI Foundation for the reintegration of prisoners, the promotion of the legal status of the prison delegation and many others. other measures taken in this direction, underlines the report.
The 2011 Constitution, he continues, developed a vision covering prison establishments and the control of laws relating to detention and deprivation of liberty, in respect of human rights, including the rights of prisoners. .
In relation to the constraints faced by the development of the penitentiary system, the document points the finger in particular to prison overcrowding which is due to various factors including the multiplication of custodial sentences and the development of delinquency.
With regard to health in prisons, the report notes a disparity in prisoners’ access to health care given the differences between prisons in terms of infrastructure, equipment and human resources and cooperation with the regional directorates of the Ministry of Health.
In this context, it formulates several recommendations, including the strengthening of the normative aspect through the adequacy of the law regulating prisons, the upgrading of criminal policy by rethinking the philosophy of the penalty to make it compatible with the constitutional requirements of the Kingdom. It also emphasizes the need to engage in collective reflection on alternative penalties and the problem of overcrowding.
It also recommends thinking regarding the development of prison medicine and the improvement of the financial situation of prison doctors and other health managers.
The document also notes that reducing prison overcrowding requires continuing to improve the quality and capacity of penitentiary establishments, in addition to reducing the use of preventive detention.
In the same context, it highlights the need to increase the budget allocated to the DGAPR so that it can offer decent living conditions to detainees, men and women, promote and develop continuous training and strengthen partnerships with the civil society.
