Thousands of ill inmates released from Congo’s main prison to ease overcrowding

Associated Press

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congo’s minister of justice says nearly 1,700 ill inmates have been released from the country’s largest prison as part of an effort to thin out Congo’s overcrowded prisons. The operation took place Monday at Makala Central Prison in the capital Kinshasa. Severely ill prisoners received immediate medical care, while others were sent home on buses provided by the ministry of justice and a state-owned company. That’s according to Minister of Justice Constant Mutamba. Makala prison, Congo’s largest penitentiary with a capacity for 1,500 people, holds more than 12,000 inmates, most of whom are awaiting trial, Amnesty International said in its latest country report.