Kinshasa: Justice Ministry suspends admissions to Makala prison

The Congolese Minister of Justice, Guillaume Ngefa Atondoko Andali, has issued a circular to temporarily suspend the admission of new detainees to the Makala central prison in Kinshasa. This emergency measure, which allows for admissions only through duly justified judicial derogations, aims to address a critical humanitarian and sanitary crisis caused by extreme overcrowding.

Originally designed to hold 1,500 people, the facility currently houses 16,155 detainees, representing more than eleven times its intended capacity. The inmate population includes 303 women and 201 children in conflict with the law. The Ministry of Justice described the situation as ‘particularly concerning,’ noting that the congestion compromises basic healthcare, nutrition, and hygiene standards.

The suspension is intended as a provisional measure to meet urgent security, health, and humanitarian imperatives. To address the existing population, the government has expressed intentions to accelerate judicial clearing processes, conditional releases, and the transfer of inmates to other correctional centers.