Mozambique plans to construct 13 new prisons by 2029 in a bid to tackle severe overcrowding across its penal system, which currently houses much more than its intended inmate capacity, according to the National Prison Service (SERNAP).
Speaking at the launch of SERNAP’s 50th anniversary commemorations in Maputo, director general Ilídio Miguel said the country’s prison population has reached 20,000 inmates despite facilities being designed to accommodate much less than that.
“In its five-year program for 2025-2029, the government has set itself the challenge of building 13 new prisons, including 10 district prisons and 3 regional prisons,” Miguel said.
He said prison authorities are also grappling with the need to ensure better nutrition, healthcare and rehabilitation services for inmates.
“Our challenge is, even in the face of overcrowding, to strive for increasingly humane treatment of prisoners”, Miguel said,
Mozambique’s prison system, which includes nearly 160 facilities built largely during the colonial era, has long struggled with overcrowding and poor infrastructure.
Data from the Ministry of Justice put the number of inmates at more than 21,000 in 2020 against carrying capacity of about 5,000.
A recent report by the Attorney General’s Office cited examples such as the Sofala Provincial Penitentiary, which holds 1,120 inmates in a space designed for 150.
The crisis was further exposed in December 2024 when 1,534 inmates escaped from Maputo Central Prison and its adjacent maximum-security facility.
SERNAP has since recaptured 584 escapees, with Miguel saying SERNAP is exploring alternative sentencing measures to reduce inmate numbers and promote reintegration.
JN/APA