Iraq to build factories in prisons for inmate job training

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Ministry of Justice said Wednesday it plans to establish factories inside central prisons to produce clothing and bottled water, part of efforts to improve inmate rehabilitation and job training.

“The ministry is preparing to launch a project to establish factories inside central prisons, after receiving approval from the Council of Ministers on the regulations of the Inmate Employment Law,” Murad Al-Saadi, director of the ministry’s media department, told state newspaper Al-Sabah.

Al-Saadi said the initiative aims to “enhance rehabilitation and reform programs and enable inmates to acquire vocational skills that help reintegrate them into society after completing their sentences.”

He called the project a significant reform measure that would allow inmates to earn income, easing financial burdens on their families, and provide certified qualifications for future employment.

Earlier this month, the ministry introduced a digital financial transfer system for inmates, including smart electronic bracelets linked to personal bank accounts. The system allows prisoners to make electronic purchases within prison commissaries, preventing price manipulation.

Iraq’s prisons have faced chronic overcrowding and substandard conditions. Justice Minister Khalid Shwani stated in April 2024 that prison overcrowding will end by 2026.

The Justice Network for Prisoners in Iraq has repeatedly criticized detention centers as inadequate, calling 80% of facilities “unfit for life.”

In December 2024, Shwan Saber, director of the network, said prisons failed to meet international standards, lacked proper medical care—especially for women—and did not adequately separate inmates based on the severity of their crimes.

According to Iraq’s Parliamentary Human Rights Committee, nearly 70,000 inmates are housed in fewer than 30 facilities nationwide. Poor ventilation, insufficient hygiene, and overcrowding have resulted in outbreaks of diseases such as tuberculosis and hepatitis, as well as rampant drug trafficking and medical neglect.

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