The Uganda Prisons Service (UPS) has called on the government to grant amnesty to prisoners convicted of minor offenses, saying there is an urgent need to address severe overcrowding in the country’s correctional facilities. The petition comes as prisons continue to operate at three times their intended capacity, creating dangerous and inhumane conditions that hinder rehabilitation efforts.
Facilities designed to house 1,000 inmates can often house up to 3,000, according to UPS executives. This overcrowding strains resources, increases health risks, and makes effective rehabilitation nearly impossible.
Senior Superintendent of Prisons (SSP) Apollo Sempungu stressed the urgent need for additional infrastructure and recommended the construction of at least 10 new prisons. He also called for closer cooperation with the judiciary to establish designated detention centers for juvenile offenders, which would help reduce pressure on major prisons.
“The current situation is unsustainable,” SSP Sempung said. “Our prisons are bursting at the seams. Immediate action is needed to improve living conditions for inmates and ensure the safety of both staff and inmates.”
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As of the beginning of this month, Uganda’s prison population was 79,000, far exceeding the country’s capacity of 23,000. SSP Sempungu also expressed concern about the 302 juveniles currently in adult prisons, many of whom should be released on bail or have their cases expedited, exposing vulnerable children to potentially lasting harm.
Even newly built facilities such as the 2,000-capacity Kitaliya Prison are full, currently housing more than 4,000 inmates. Uganda’s prison system consists of 259 facilities, including high-security prisons, maximum-security prisons, medium-security prisons, and farms for prison workers.
UPS has advocated for leniency for inmates convicted of petty, nonviolent crimes such as petty theft, arguing that releasing them would alleviate overcrowding and free up resources for inmates serving long sentences for serious crimes.
Overcrowding has far-reaching effects beyond space constraints. Poor sanitation, limited medical care, inadequate food and clothing, and increasing violence are common challenges. Staff shortages make it difficult to implement rehabilitation programs essential to maintaining order and reducing recidivism.
Addressing this crisis requires a multifaceted approach. Alongside maintaining existing facilities, prison infrastructure needs to be expanded. Judicial reform is essential to speed up case processing, reduce backlogs, and increase the use of alternative sentencing for minor crimes.
Rehabilitation programs such as education, vocational training, and counseling should be prioritized to prepare prisoners for reintegration into society.
Preventive measures that address the root causes of crime, such as poverty and unemployment, are also important, as are effective incident management and regular independent inspections to ensure health, safety and humane conditions.
UPS’s request for leniency underscores the urgent need for government intervention. By combining short-term measures such as amnesty with long-term solutions such as infrastructure development, judicial reform and rehabilitation programs, Uganda can build a safer, more humane and effective prison system.
