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Morocco and Western Sahara
Capital city — Rabat
Country population
i2022Incarceration rate (per 100,000 inhabit…
i12/2023Type of government
Human Development Index
0.698(120/193)
Homicide rate (per 100,000 inhabitants)
Name of authority in charge of the pris…
Total number of prisoners
i31/12/2023Average length of imprisonment (in mont…
i2020/ prison service, Report 2021, p. 135, tableau 4.Prison density
i31/12/2023Total number of prison facilities
i2023An NPM has been established
Female prisoners
i31/12/2023Incarcerated minors
i31/12/2023Percentage of untried prisoners
i31/12/2023Death penalty is abolished
noThe death penalty…
Overview
Prison population
Incarceration rate (per 100,000 inhabitants)
267
The authorities publish official statistics on prison population
yearly
The numerical data are published in the yearly DGAPR report.
The prison service has a computerised record keeping system
The “SID” computerised record keeping system is currently being implemented in all of the establishments.
Total number of prisoners
102,653
Variation in the number of prisoners
increase
The number of people in prison increases by 7.03% between 2017 (83,102)1 and 2021 (88,941).
prison service, Report 2017, p. 30. ↩
Number of people serving non-custodial sentences
-
Variation in the incarceration rate
increase
The incarceration rate increases by 3.45% between 2020 (232) and 2021 (240).
Number of admissions
108,460
Number of releases
104,596
Average length of imprisonment (in months)
9.84
Variation in the average length of imprisonment
increase
The average length of detention increases by 1.24% between 2020 (9.72 months)1 and 2021 (9.84).
prison administration, 2020 Report, p. 135, table 4. ↩
Prison density
158.8 %
Variation in the prison density
increase
The occupation rate increases by 16,87 % between 2018 (136,9)1 and 2019 (160).
The distribution of prisoners according to the duration of their sentence is, as at 31 December, 2018, the following 1:
-
less than six months: 8.98 % (4 583)
-
six months to one year: 19.58 % (9 993)
-
one to two years: 21.93 % (11 192)
-
two to five years: 24.70 % (12 604)
-
five to ten years: 12.41 % (6 333)
-
ten to thirty years: 11.17 % (5 697)
-
life sentence: 1.08 % (551)
-
death sentence: 0.14 % (72)
DGAPR, “2018 Report”, 2019, p. 147 (in Arabic). ↩
Overcrowding is an issue for specific types of prison facilities
yes
Local Prisons are particularly overpopulated, particularly those in the Rabat-Salé-Kenitra and Casablanca-Settat regions. The Aïn Sebaâ local prison in Casablanca holds, at 3 August 2023, 10,877 prisoners, despite having a capacity of only 3,800 beds.
A supervisory body has issued a decision on prison overcrowding
The National Human Rights Council (CNDH) and the Regional Committees for Prison Inspection commented on prison overpopulation. On 31 October 2012, the CNDH presented a report entitled, “The Prison Crisis” during a press conference in Rabat.
In 2016, the United States State Department talked about Morocco’s prison overpopulation in their report following the human rights practices by country. They highlight that the prison conditions for people in pre-trial imprisonment are particularly difficult with regard to overpopulation.
Organisation
Name of authority in charge of the prison service
the Prime Minister
Budget of the prison service
237,658
dollars - 2 286 840 MAD
The prison service outsources the management of the facilities to private companies, either partially or fully
yes
Only catering is appointed to private contractors.
The General Delegation for Prison Administration and Rehabilitation (DGAPR), created in 2008 and linked to the Prime Minister, is responsible for prison establishments 1.
The DGAPR is responsible for the implementation of sentences and private release measures. It is responsible for the development and implementation of governmental policies regarding security and rehabilitation. It prepares, along with other instances, case file requests and proposals for pardons and conditional parole. 2
See Sentence adjustments policies section.
The GDPRA is composed of the central administration and the ten regional directorates:
-
Casablanca-Settat region
-
Rabat-Salé-Kenitra region
-
Fès-Meknès region
-
Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima region
-
Marrakesh-Safi region
-
Eastern Region
-
Béni Mellal- Khenifra region
-
Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra region
-
Region of Draa-Tafilalet
-
Souss-Massa region
Article 2 of regulation no. 1.08.49 of 29 April 2008 ↩
General Delegation for Prison Administration and Rehabilitation “2018 Report”, 2019, p. 29 (in Arabic). ↩
All the prison regimes applicable to Morocco are closed. They vary according to the prisoner classification.
The classification criteria are particularly the risk of repeat offence, the offence committed, the prisoner’s civil status, and their age. They are subjected to an individual evaluation grid. The modes of access to activities, work, visits, and walks depend on this classification.
The prison regimes are the following:
-
A: high security regime, solitary confinement, restricted movement within the establishment
-
B: ordinary closed regime
-
C: partially closed regime, best opportunities to access activities and work
Prison facilities
The different categories of correctional facilities are:
- Local prisons, intended for people with short-term sentences, defendants and persons under duress 1. There are 65 in total. They are required to guarantee, “depending on their capacities”, professional training to prisoners.
- Central prisons, reserved for people with long-term sentences. There is a total of two of them: Moul El Bergui and Kenitra. These are high security establishments.
- Agricultural prisons, normally intended for prisoners at the end of their sentence. There are six in total. These establishments are dedicated to the professional training of prisoners in the agricultural field and to prepare them for their release.
- Educational reform centres, reserved for minors and young adults (up until 20 years old). There are three in total.
Penitentiary law provides that sentenced people are divided into prisons according to their gender, family residence, age, criminal circumstances, background, physical and mental state of health, mental aptitudes, personality, and detention regime. (Prison Law, article 29.
The incarcerated population is concentrated in the local and central prisons.
Persons under duress are objected to an exceptional measure of custodial sentence to recover civil debts. ↩
Total number of prison facilities
75
Total official capacity of the prison facilities
61,170
The size of the facilities varies in a significant manner. Ain Sebaa 1’s local prison (4,500 places) is the largest. Its current population, as of 31 December 2018, is 7,137 prisoners. The smallest prison is the Reform and Rehabilitation Centre in Benslimane (249 places). Its current population is 220 young prisoners, as of the same date.
The facilities [^map] and the majority of the incarcerated population [^pop] is concentrated in the north-west of the country (Casablanca-Settat, Rabat-Salé-Kenitra, and Fès-Meknès).
[^map]: See Penitentiary map“, 2019, p. 30 (in Arabic).
[^pop]: General Delegation for Prison Administration and Rehabilitation, “2018 Activities Report”, 2019, p. 144 (in Arabic).
Prison facilities are accessible by public transport
the majority of facilities
Correctional facilities are normally situated between 10 to 15 kilometres from city centres.
Staff
Number of prison guards (FTE)
6,180
Guards and educators are grouped in the same category called “guard-educators”. They have the same tasks.
Guard to prisoner ratio
1 : 11
The ratio varies depending on the prisons and the time of the day. In 2018, the prison administration indicated that they wanted to achieve a ratio of one guard for every eight prisoners 1.
DGAPR, “2018 Report”, 2019, p. 68 (in Arabic). ↩
Number of socio-educational workers (FTE)
444
Socio-educative workers are: social assistants (73) and civil servants for social activities (371).
Percentage of socio-educational workers in relation to the entire prison staff
4.62 %
The prison staff is represented by (a) union(s)
Prison guards must follow initial training, followed by a competitive entrance exam. They must have their high school qualifications.
The training includes, in chronological order:
- two months of training at the National Centre of Executive Training (CNFC)
- one month, in-prison internship
- three months of training at the CNFC.
Training is the same for all prison staff. Position choices are made after the training. Only prison doctors receive specialised initial training.
Staff do not benefit from any benefits other than their salary. This is a contentious issue for the majority of staff. The Director of DGAPR highlights the lack of resources from their institution and staff exhaustion.
Prison staff are organised into two bodies:
- surveillance and security: guards, prison wardens and directors
- rehabilitation: teachers, social assistants, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, and surgical dentists