Prison bed capacity increased to 370 as government targets 500 before completing three years

The Maldives Correctional Service says prison bed capacity will be increased to 500 before the government completes three years in office on November 17.

Successive governments have acknowledged that existing prison facilities do not have adequate space to accommodate inmates.

Commissioner of Prisons Hassan Zareer addressed the issue on PSM’s Raajje Miadhu programme.

He said the number of people entering jail is not low, and therefore efforts are underway to find a long‑term solution.

So far this term, around 370 beds have been added to the prison system, and work is ongoing to further increase capacity, he said.

Zareer said the government aims to raise the total bed capacity to 500 before the administration reaches its third year.

“We are working to reach the target of increasing the capacity to 500 beds. With the vision of the Honourable President and the great initiative of our Minister, we are doing this,” Commissioner of Prisons Hassan Zareer.

Zareer added that there is currently no space to separate inmates, resulting in elderly and young prisoners being housed together. He said a special unit will be established for inmates serving long sentences.

His remarks come after Home Minister Ali Ihusaan had announced on January 17, 2024, that the government intends to build a central prison with segregated security levels, noting that the current prison network is difficult and costly to maintain.

According to the latest statistics released by the Maldives Correctional Service, more than 1,200 inmates are housed across Maafushi, Male', and Asseyri prisons. Inmates previously held at the old Male' jail have been relocated, and the facility has now been closed.

The decision to relocate the jail was made because its location was deemed disruptive to students studying at the adjacent Dharumavantha School.