At least 7,000 inmates are set to be granted conditional release from the Makala Central Prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo in a bid to ease overcrowding at the facility.
Located in Kinshasa, Makala Central Prison is the country’s largest jail. Built for 1,500 inmates in 1957, it now holds more than 15,000 people, including children and women.
Conditions at the prison are notoriously bad, with inmates crammed into cells, eating poorly, and some suffering from water and respiratory diseases.
Justice Minister Constant Mutamba approved the release of the first 421 inmates on Saturday, stating that prisoners will be released at a rate of 400 per week.
Mutamba indicated that efforts are underway to reduce overcrowding in all Congolese prisons. He announced that a commission has been established to examine the cases of prisoners eligible for conditional release.
Additionally, Mutamba ordered the release of those who are sick and minors from Makala Central Prison and has forbidden the admission of new inmates.
The aim is to halve the number of prisoners at the facility.
