The majority of prisons in Cameroon are old and unsanitary. Buildings are poorly ventilated, and accessing toilets and water is challenging. Poor hygiene conditions and difficulties accessing health care, compounded by overpopulation, lead to health problems. Since 2011, newer facilities have been built and the state has undertaken prison renovation projects.

In the north and east of the country, a large number of arrests have taken place in the fight against the armed group Boko Haram. Many arrests have also occurred in connection with the repression of protest movements in the English-speaking region of the country (in French). The adoption of the Anti-Terrorism Act in 2014 has broadened the spectrum of reasons for arrest and detention. Cases of arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment are denounced. Many people are arrested without evidence in the name of fighting Boko Haram, including children as young as five years old. These prisoners are held in military camps without trial for several months.