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Join on Telegram Rabat – The General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration’s (DGAPR) decision to ban food baskets in all prisons in Morocco will officially be implemented on Monday.
According to a communiqué from the DGAPR, the local prison Ain Sebaa 1 was the last to comply with the policy, joining the other establishments where the decision came into effect during the last weeks.
The delegation said that the families of prisoners in various penitentiary establishments “welcomed” the decision to prohibit the delivery of food to prisons, claiming that many of them cannot afford the costs of the baskets.
The policy is expected to help combat the circulation of illegal drugs in prisons, the statement said, specifically noting that food baskets are a major vehicle for drug-trafficking into penitentiaries.
The DGAPR said the detainees are “pleased” with the decision, citing an improvement in the quantity and quality of the meals given to prisoners.
The delegation also noted that there has been an improvement in health conditions inside prisons. Today, there is one doctor for every 820 inmates, one dentist for 1,381 inmates, a nurse for 162 prisoners, and 6 diagnoses for each prisoner per year.
Nevertheless, the DGAPR warned that the overcrowding of prisons is jeopardizing the state’s efforts to improve conditions for inmates and preserve their dignity and security.
The delegation also revealed that prisons in Morocco are understaffed, adding that the administration has 400 job openings for this year with five new penitentiaries scheduled to be built by 2021 in regions where there are none currently.
The National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) will convene a meeting Tuesday, October 31 with the government and civil society actors to discuss the critical conditions in Morocco’s prisons.
