Kurdistan Region prisons face 200% overcrowding and rising incarceration rates

NEWSROOM — The Kurdistan Region’s correctional facilities are facing severe overcrowding, with inmate populations exceeding their intended capacities by up to 200% to 300%. Ihsan Abdulrahman, Director General of Reformatories in the Kurdistan Region, highlighted that the Correctional Facility in Sulaymaniyah, designed for 910 inmates, currently houses more than double that number. Similarly, facilities in Erbil are operating at three times their capacity.

According to the latest statistics released by Tariq Mohammed, director of media at the General Directorate of Reformatories to 964media, Erbil’s correctional centers detain 2,027 individuals, Sulaymaniyah holds 1,651, and Duhok accommodates 1,449 inmates. Additionally, women’s and juvenile reformatories report 419 detainees in Erbil, 127 in Sulaymaniyah, and 112 in Duhok, bringing the total number of detainees across the Kurdistan Region to 5,785. This overcrowding has resulted in situations where cells intended for 10 inmates now confine more than 15.

In an interview with 964 media, Abdulrahman attributes the rising inmate numbers to an increase in crime rates and the absence of a general amnesty. He noted that Erbil’s higher detainee count is partly due to its large population and a significant number of internally displaced persons (IDPs), which correlates with a higher crime rate.

The financial challenges faced by the Kurdistan Regional Government have further exacerbated the situation. Budget constraints have hindered the expansion of existing facilities or the construction of new ones. Abdulrahman emphasized that the economic crisis has directly impacted the ability to enhance correctional infrastructure.

One proposed solution to alleviate overcrowding is the implementation of a general amnesty law. A report highlighting the critical state of the prisons has been submitted to the KRG Council of Ministers, which subsequently formed a committee to draft an amnesty bill. The draft has been completed and is awaiting discussion in the Kurdistan Parliament. Abdulrahman expressed hope that the new parliamentary session would prioritize this legislation, potentially leading to the release of up to 2,000 inmates who meet specific criteria.

The proposed general amnesty would consider releasing inmates who have demonstrated good behavior, whose offenses do not pose a threat to society, or who have committed minor infractions. Notably, over 1,500 inmates are incarcerated for drug-related offenses, constituting approximately one-fifth of the total prison population in the region.

In the Kurdistan Region, 479 inmates are currently on death row. However, since 2008, the Kurdish authorities have maintained a de facto moratorium on executions, resulting in these sentences not being carried out. This moratorium effectively blocks the use of the death penalty, except for terror-related charges or exceptionally heinous crimes.

Abdulrahman suggested that the general amnesty could include provisions to commute these sentences to life imprisonment, with the possibility of subsequent release.