Rwanda’s prison population is now below the total capacity of correctional facilities, Interior Minister Vincent Biruta told lawmakers on Friday, March 13. He made the remarks during a session with the parliamentary committee for national unity, human rights and the fight against genocide. The session aimed at reviewing issues highlighted in the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) 2024/2025 report. ALSO READ: Prison overcrowding drops by 30% He noted that the prison occupancy currently stands at 97.7 per cent of capacity. This is unlike in the previous years, where for example, congestion reached 124.1 per cent in 2020/2021, then rose to 130 per cent in 2021/2022, and peaked at 140.7 per cent in 2022/2023. It later declined to 134.3 per cent in 2023/2024 and 110 per cent in 2024/2025. Biruta attributed the reduction to several measures, including expanding prison infrastructure. “There has been an increase in the number of beds, and new rooms have been built in correctional facilities such as Rwamagana and Gicumbi,” he said. ALSO READ: Prison population on the rise despite decongestion efforts He also highlighted reforms in the justice system that promote alternatives to imprisonment. “Courts are increasingly applying penalties other than imprisonment, including community service and other alternatives provided for in the reformed legislation,” Biruta said. ALSO READ: Senators urge ankle monitors, digital tools to cut prison congestion Other measures, such as conditional releases, plea bargaining, and wider use of community service penalties, have further eased pressure on facilities. The minister said about 1,700 inmates were recently released under conditional release arrangements. Lawmakers point out remaining challenges Following the session, the committee’s chairperson, MP Madina Ndangiza, said that the issues found during oversight visits include cases of inmates detained without proper documentation and others who had completed their sentences but were yet to be released. Biruta explained that some of these cases involve genocide convicts serving sentences issued by different courts, and when a convict finishes the first sentence don’t remember they have to serve the other one. Ndangiza also said the government still faces budget constraints for renovating detention facilities, and disparities exist between prisons, with some operating above capacity while others are underused. Biruta said authorities are addressing these imbalances by transferring inmates between facilities.
