Release of more than 700 prisoners following a presidential pardon in the DRC
As part of the decongestion of Congolese prisons, the Deputy Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Thaddée Mambu, released more than 700 prisoners from the Kinshasa Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Center (CPRK), formerly known as the name of Makala Prison. This presidential pardon, granted by the President of the Republic, Félix Tshisekedi, aims to reduce prison overcrowding and to offer a second chance to people who have served part of their sentence and who have shown signs of rehabilitation.
Minister Thaddée Mambu spoke at the release ceremony, expressing his satisfaction with this presidential decision. He pointed out that President Tshisekedi grants his pardon regardless of the crime committed, and that he wants to give prisoners a chance to reintegrate into society after serving part of their sentence and undergoing a re-education process.
Makala prison, built in 1957, has a capacity of 1,500 prisoners, but currently houses more than 12,000 people, including nearly 10,000 defendants and 2,000 convicted. This prison overcrowding poses both health and security risks. In order to remedy this situation, the director of the penitentiary and rehabilitation center in Kinshasa, Joseph Yusufu, proposed solutions such as the transfer of prisoners to other penitentiary establishments in the provinces, as well as the adoption of alternative sentences to imprisonment.
It should be noted that this presidential pardon does not apply to serious crimes such as rape, assassination, murder, embezzlement of public funds or attacks on state security.
This decision to release prisoners shows President Tshisekedi’s desire to deal with prison overcrowding and to reform the prison system in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It also offers liberated people an opportunity to rebuild themselves and contribute positively to society