Maldives Adds 370 Prison Beds to Combat Severe Correctional Facility Overcrowding

The Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) is implementing an emergency expansion of its penal capacity, adding approximately 370 beds to alleviate severe overcrowding within the national prison system, announced Commissioner of Prisons Hassan Zareer. Speaking on the PSM News programme ‘Raajje Miadhu’, Commissioner Zareer highlighted that inadequate space remains a critical systemic challenge. The administration has set a target to expand the total capacity to 500 beds within the current government term to meet the growing demand for inmate housing. To achieve this, the MCS is actively constructing new holding cells at the Hulhumalé prison. Additionally, a 140-person unit is being developed at a former government Covid-19 facility in Hulhumalé, which is intended to replace the aging and insufficient Malé prison infrastructure. Beyond the raw number of beds, the Commissioner noted a significant lack of specialized infrastructure for inmate management. Currently, the system struggles to segregate prisoners by age or offense, often resulting in elderly inmates sharing quarters with younger offenders. To address this, the MCS is working to establish a dedicated unit specifically for individuals serving long-term sentences. The relocation of the original Malé prison to Hulhumalé—necessitated by its proximity to a school—did not solve the underlying issue of overcrowding. While the new unit at the former quarantine center provides immediate relief, officials state that a permanent solution is required. The government intends to transition to a ‘one prison concept,’ centralizing correctional services into a single, purpose-built facility. This move is driven by the operational difficulty and public concern regarding the current use of facilities located on two inhabited islands where local tourism is a primary economic driver. The administration envisions the development of this centralized correctional hub in Uthuru Thilafalhu to ensure professional management and minimize community disruption.