Rabat – Morocco’s Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi announced on Monday that the ministry has returned back to prison nine individuals who failed to carry out their court-ordered community service sentences.
Speaking before the House of Representatives during the first oral question session of the autumn parliamentary term, Ouahbi said a total of 450 rulings have so far been issued under the new alternative sentencing law.
However, he noted that some beneficiaries “refused to comply with their obligations without providing any justification,” prompting judges to order their arrest and imprisonment on Sunday.
Ouahbi noted that alternative sentencing represents “a reconciliatory criminal policy between the offender and society” and that failure to execute such rulings undermines the spirit of the law.
The new framework applies to misdemeanors carrying prison sentences of up to five years and excludes repeat offenders.
It also excludes crimes linked to state security, terrorism, corruption, embezzlement, bribery, influence-peddling, money laundering, military offenses, international drug trafficking, human trafficking, and sexual exploitation of minors or persons with disabilities.
Community service, fines, and electronic monitoring
The law allows judges to impose community service or daily fines ranging between MAD 100 and MAD 2,000 ($10 to $195) instead of imprisonment.
Courts must consider the offender’s financial means, the seriousness of the offense, and the harm caused. Those sentenced have six months to pay the fine, with a possible extension.
The law also introduces electronic monitoring, enabling authorities to track offenders through electronic devices for a specified period determined by the court.
Any attempt to damage or remove the device is punishable by up to three months in prison or a fine between MAD 2,000 and MAD 5,000 ($195 to $490).
To implement the reform, 58 prisons have been selected nationwide, one facility per city with multiple prisons, to optimize resources and ensure proper oversight.
