DRC: New admissions suspended at Makala prison to address overcrowding

The Congolese Ministry of Justice has suspended new admissions to Makala Central Prison, except in exceptional cases. Built to hold 1,500 people, the prison now houses more than 16,000, according to the ministry. ASADHO and the Bill Clinton Foundation for Peace welcomed the temporary measure but said it would not solve prison overcrowding in the long term. They called for stronger oversight of the judiciary, the closure of illegal detention cells and a lasting policy to reduce prison populations.