In Madagascar, six inmates died of malnutrition in prison in Mananjary in the southeast of the island. The deaths occurred between the middle of August and the end of September, the prison administration said this week. While Malagasy prisons are faced with prison overcrowding and a considerable lack of resources, this tragedy also raises questions about the measures taken by the State, after its promise in 2019 to “ humanize » its prisons.
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From our correspondent in Antananarivo,
This is a “ isolated case », assures the general director of the prison administration Arsène Ralisaona. “ When they entered detention, these prisoners were already malnourished », he explains. Mananjary is indeed one of the establishments identified as at risk for its detaineeslocated in a region impoverished by successive cyclones in recent years.
Claire Kaboré, representative in Madagascar of GRET, an international development NGO, recognizes “ a particularly dramatic situation » which however reflects a national reality: “ On the food side, in prison, there is only one ration of cassava dish per day. It is certain that it is not a balanced ration, it is largely insufficient, both in quantity and quality. So if there are no close families who can bring baskets regularly, those detained have a high chance of becoming malnourished. »
In response to the tragedy, rice, oil, but also food supplements were delivered “ to save lives » in Mananjary, explains the Ministry of Justice.
In 2019, after publication of an alarming report from Amnesty International on the Malagasy prison environmentthe State was committed to humanizing detention conditions. Six prisons considered “ to standards » were built. Since 2020, the budget allocated to the prison administration has more than doubled – from 22 million ariary to almost 50 million ariary this year.
An effort that is still insufficient, while the number of prisoners continues to increase and the prisons are overflowing: the country has more than 30,000 prisoners for a reception capacity three times lower.
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