The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Minister of Justice, Constant Mutamba, announced the release of 527 prisoners from Kinshasa’s Makala Central Prison on Saturday, August 10, 2024. This move is part of a broader initiative to improve detention conditions and reduce overcrowding at the facility.
During the event, Minister Mutamba also delivered 2,000 mattresses to inmates, with a total of 7,000 mattresses ordered. He emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring that no prisoner would have to sleep on the floor, in line with directives from the Head of State.
“A state governed by the rule of law means that everyone must be subject to the law. Your place is in your home where you will spend the night tonight. You must return to your homes. In this regard, I inform you that next Saturday, we will continue with the release of some prisoners who have been unjustly detained,” Mutamba stated, highlighting the ongoing efforts to address unjust detentions.
In addition to the release of prisoners, the Minister outlined plans for the comprehensive rehabilitation of Makala Prison. This includes the delivery of the remaining mattresses, the manufacturing of new beds, and the renovation of the prison’s health center and several pavilions. These efforts are aimed at reducing the severe overcrowding in the prison, which was built in 1957 to hold 1,500 inmates but now houses more than 15,000, including women and children.
Mutamba also announced the construction of a new prison in Maluku, a site he recently visited, as part of the government’s broader strategy to address the dire conditions in the country’s largest jail. The conditions at Makala Prison have been notoriously poor, with inmates suffering from overcrowding, inadequate food, and diseases such as waterborne and respiratory illnesses.
In July, the DRC government revealed plans to grant conditional release to at least 7,000 inmates as part of its effort to ease the strain on Makala Prison and improve the overall prison system.