Makala Central Prison: 108 detainees released amid overcrowding crisis

Justice Minister Guillaume Ngefa has announced the release of 108 detainees from the Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa following an inspection of the facility alongside Prosecutor General Firmin Mvonde Mambu. The visit aimed to assess dire detention conditions and implement measures to alleviate extreme overcrowding.

According to prison director André Kanza wa Kanza, the facility is currently housing 16,238 detainees despite an initial capacity of only 1,500. Of these, more than 11,000 are held in preventive detention. The inspection revealed severe overcrowding, deteriorating infrastructure, and limited access to healthcare. In the women’s pavilion, reports indicated that some inmates were sharing a single bed among eight people.

To address the crisis, the Minister has ordered urgent evaluations to identify inmates eligible for release on humanitarian grounds, specifically focusing on those with mental health issues, the elderly, and mothers with young children. This follows a previous measure where 66 individuals were granted conditional release. Judicial authorities are expected to begin reviewing case files on October 16 to identify further legal opportunities for release.