Makala Prison’s inmate population doubles in just over a year without an increase in operating budget

Kinshasa’s Makala Central Prison now holds more than 16,000 inmates, up from about 8,000 at a previous visit by the justice minister, with no increase in its operating budget. During a visit on October 15, Guillaume Ngefa Atondoko Andali said the food budget was intended for fewer than 5,000 people; the facility, designed for 1,500, houses 16,238. The delegation found severe overcrowding, deteriorating infrastructure and difficulties accessing medical care, while inmates called for more sleeping space and clemency measures. Prosecutor General Firmin Mvonde Mambu carried out a few releases among 108 cases reviewed, following 66 conditional releases the previous week, and the minister announced recommendations to reduce overcrowding.