The Moroccan Prison Administration (DGAPR) reported that 6,987 inmates benefited from the non-formal education and teaching programs during the 2022-2023 academic year, up nearly 30% compared to the previous season and 64% higher than in 2022-2021, according to the administration’s annual activity report, issued on Tuesday.
The DGAPR indicated that 1,689 inmates had obtained their schooling certificates, compared with 1,297 last year–an increase of 30%–while 633 inmates had passed the baccalaureate exam, translating to 46.14%.
To further reinforce these results, various educational programs will be implemented once approved in the coming days, under the partnership between the DGAPR and the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports, which has been drawn up in a participative and coordinated framework between the two parties.
The report highlights the role of vocational training in rehabilitation programs, providing prisoners with practical skills and knowledge to enhance their socioeconomic integration post-release.
Approximately 8,113 detainees received various vocational training programs during the 2022-2023 training season, of whom 6,060 passed the final exams. Another 734 underwent training in agriculture, with over 93% successfully passing the exams.
In 2023, the Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts, Social Economy, and Solidarity partnered with DGAPR to launch the fourth Opportunity and Creativity Program, “Forssa wa Ibdaa.” The program aimed to rehabilitate inmates and showcase their artistic and craft skills, with 113 prisoners chosen for their skills in various fields.
The DGAPR, collaborating with Dar Al Moukawil and the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Rehabilitation of Prisoners, offers entrepreneurship training to offenders by assisting them with developing income-generating projects. In 2022, the program commenced with a collaboration agreement with a private-sector company to establish a production unit for the local market in Taounate.
Morocco’s prison administration is also working on developing the University in the Prisons Program to improve the learning capabilities of inmates in correctional facilities, a priority that is gaining significant traction among beneficiaries. This academic program enables postgraduate prisoners to pursue scientific mastery and to prove their qualifications through promoting debates and communication with a panel of professors and stakeholders in education, culture, religion, human rights, and justice.
Moroccan prisons also offer religious classes, including preaching, orientation, memorization, and Qur’an recitation programs to reinforce the tolerant values of the Islamic religion.