Approximately 1,685 “seriously ill” inmates have been released from the notorious Makala Prison in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, as part of efforts to reduce overcrowding.
The release began on Sunday, following a tragic incident earlier this month in which 129 inmates died during an attempted jailbreak—some shot by security forces, while others were caught in a crush, according to officials.
The government has pledged to expedite measures to decongest the prison, which has been described as “true hell.” Images released on the justice ministry’s Facebook page show some of the inmates selected for release, including an emaciated man with bandaged injuries being wheeled away, and another image featuring a group of malnourished men, one with an open wound.
In a video, one prisoner who appears unable to stand declares his intention to change his life and no longer cause harm, expressing gratitude to Justice Minister Constant Mutamba.
Mutamba stated that those needing medical attention would receive treatment, while others would be transported home by government-provided buses. He has already ordered the release of hundreds of additional inmates and prohibited the transfer of new prisoners to Makala.
With a population exceeding 14 million, Kinshasa has two prisons: Makala and the military prison of N’dole, which officially accommodates 500 inmates. Emmanuel Adu Cole, head of the Bill Clinton Foundation for Peace, a local NGO focused on prison conditions, welcomed the releases but emphasized the need for further reforms.
Makala, built in the 1950s, has a capacity of 1,500 but was holding at least 12,000 inmates before the recent events. A former inmate described the conditions as “true hell,” stating, “Makala is not a prison, but a detention center resembling a concentration camp, where people are sent to die.”
Secretly filmed videos showed extreme overcrowding and insufficient daily rations. Authorities have long acknowledged the overcrowding issue, with some officials blaming magistrates for sending suspects to prison. In 2020, it was estimated that only 6% of inmates were serving actual sentences, while the rest languished in a legal system where cases can take years to resolve.
