Murad al-Saadi, a spokesperson for the ministry, told Iraqi state media that Justice Minister Khalid Shwani has ordered the evacuation and closing down of al-Adala 1, al-Adala 2, and maximum security prisons in Baghdad, and the transfer of the inmates elsewhere.
"The opening of Nasiriyah prison and the expansion of al-Amarah prison will soon take place, in addition to the rehabilitation of Chamchamal prison, and the opening of other buildings in Baghdad central prison," said Saadi, adding that the construction and rehabilitation measures will continue up until the end of 2024.
There are some 60,000 prisoners in Iraq, but capacity is about 25,000 in 28 federal prisons, according to the ministry. Overcrowding varies from prison to prison, reaching 200 to 300 percent capacity.
Saadi said that the justice ministry plans to decrease overcrowding to 200 percent.
Part of the reason for overcrowding is a crackdown on drugs. The US Department of State in its 2022 human rights report cited an unnamed Iraqi official as saying “overcrowding across prisons in general increased during the year, unofficially to approximately 40 percent over capacity, due to law enforcement efforts against drugs in the country, with the thousands of dealers and drug abusers arrested during the year resulting in an increase in prison inmates.”
