Africa-Press – Gambia. The Gambia has announced a bold plan to build a new prison as part of a comprehensive reform of its prison system. Interior Minister Aboulie Sanyang made the announcement during a special edition of Mansa Kunda with the Children’s National Assembly on Saturday.
The new facility, according to Minister Sanyang, aims to replace the notorious and overcrowded Mile 2 Central Prison, which has long been criticised for poor conditions, human rights abuses and a brutal legacy under the former dictatorship of Yahya Jammeh.
The new prison project is a key part of a wider initiative unveiled by Interior Minister Sanyang at a new edition of Mansa Kunda with the Children’s National Assembly on Friday.
“The plan envisions a modern correctional facility designed to shift the focus from mere detention to rehabilitation, education, and vocational training,” he said.
“The government, under the directive of His Excellency President Barrow, has asked us to move quickly on this. We are no longer talking about prisons in the old sense of the word—we are building correctional facilities. Almost half of the required funds have already been secured, and once the project takes off, it will also include a production centre to support rehabilitation.”
He said the vision and approach is to ensure offenders—particularly juveniles—are not cut off from their education.
“The planned facility will include classrooms that cater for students from grade seven through to senior secondary school. If you are a student and you find yourself there, you will not lose your future. We are working closely with the Ministry of Education to make sure young people continue their studies while serving their time.”
He noted that the initiative forms part of broader reforms aimed at creating humane conditions across the country’s justice and security system. He pointed to recent progress in police infrastructure as an example, where new model stations now come equipped with gender and child protection units to safeguard the rights and welfare of detainees.
He said the government hopes the planned correctional facility will not only improve detention standards but also reduce re-offending and reintegrate former inmates more successfully into society.
The proposed prison will accommodate up to 3,000 inmates, with separate sections for men, women, juveniles, and different security levels.
It will feature modern classrooms, forensic laboratories, e-learning facilities and hostels to facilitate inmate education and skills development.
The government’s announcement responds to longstanding problems of overcrowding, obsolete infrastructure, and poor living conditions in existing prisons.
Mile 2, infamous for torture and extrajudicial killings under Jammeh’s regime, currently faces severe overcrowding and sanitation issues.
Human rights groups and civil society have pressed for its closure.
Minister Sanyang confirmed that land has already been secured in Brikama for the new project. He disclosed that the foundation stone for the facility will be laid within the next two to three months, marking a milestone in what he described as the Ministry’s flagship prison reform programme.
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