Morocco’s prison population surged by an alarming 16%, rising from 83,757 to 97,204 inmates between 2018 and 2022, according to an official annual report by the Moroccan Prison Administration (DGAPR).
The document shows a 9.3% increase from 2021 to 2022, compared to 4.6% between 2020 and 2021, a decline attributed to the COVID-19 lockdown and court suspension.
Female prisoners saw a 13% surge, surpassing male inmate growth which stands at 9.3%.
Convicted prisoners increased by almost 12%, while the number of prisoners on remand grew by 5.8%, resulting in a decline in the latter’s proportion from 42.19% to 40.85%, according to the same report.
Projections indicate a slight reduction in 2023 followed by a 2.6% increase in 2024, reaching an estimated 99,000 inmates.