{"id":67889,"date":"2026-04-16T16:16:38","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T16:16:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/all-news\/lcs-fails-to-implement-ombudsman-recommendations-on-inmates"},"modified":"2026-04-16T16:56:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T16:56:25","slug":"lcs-fails-to-implement-ombudsman-recommendations-on-inmates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/all-news\/lcs-fails-to-implement-ombudsman-recommendations-on-inmates","title":{"rendered":"LCS Fails to Implement Ombudsman Recommendations on Inmates"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

What You Need to Know<\/h4>\n

The Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS) has implemented only 9% of the Ombudsman\u2019s recommendations regarding correctional facility conditions. Overcrowding has significantly worsened, with inmate numbers rising to 2,757. The report highlights critical healthcare issues and inadequate resources, while the Minister of Law and Justice plans future rehabilitation projects for correctional facilities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Africa-Press – Lesotho. <\/strong> <\/span>The Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS) has failed to implement the majority of recommendations made by the Office of the Ombudsman regarding conditions in correctional facilities across the country.<\/p>\n

According to the Ombudsman\u2019s follow-up report on inspections of correctional institutions, only about nine percent of the 78 recommendations issued in 2023 have been implemented, leaving 91 percent unaddressed.<\/p>\n

The report indicates that overcrowding has worsened significantly, with the inmate population increasing from 1,835 in 2023 to 2,757 as of March 2026. It notes that the Maseru Central Correctional Institution (MCCI), designed to accommodate 500 inmates, is currently housing 971 detainees.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout 50 percent of facilities remain overcrowded, with some cells accommodating up to three times their intended capacity,\u201d the report states.<\/p>\n

It further highlights that healthcare services within correctional facilities have reached a critical level, citing systemic challenges in access and resources. Diseases such as pellagra, scabies and tuberculosis are reported to be prevalent among inmates.<\/p>\n

The report also notes that inmates continue to receive a limited and repetitive diet consisting mainly of porridge and beans or peas. Meanwhile, correctional officers have reportedly not received new uniforms since 2016, and some recruits engaged during that period only received formal training in 2023.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the report points to persistent underfunding of LCS, with facilities lacking essential supplies including cleaning materials, medical resources, food, vehicles, communication tools and equipment.<\/p>\n

In an interview with the Agency, the Minister of Law and Justice, Mr. Richard Ramoeletsi, said although he had not yet seen the Ombudsman\u2019s follow-up report, the ministry has plans to rehabilitate correctional facilities in Botha-Bothe, Teyateyaneng, Quthing and Qacha\u2019s Nek, as well as construct a female correctional facility in Mohale\u2019s Hoek during the 2026\/2027 financial year.<\/p>\n

The Lesotho Correctional Service has faced ongoing challenges related to overcrowding and inadequate resources. The Ombudsman\u2019s recommendations aimed to address these issues, but the LCS’s failure to implement them has exacerbated the situation. Overcrowding in correctional facilities has reached alarming levels, with many institutions housing far more inmates than intended, leading to serious health and safety concerns. Historical underfunding has contributed to these persistent problems, affecting both inmate welfare and staff conditions.<\/p>\n

Find more news and analyses on Lesotho<\/span> on the Africa Press<\/span> website<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What You Need to Know The Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS) has implemented only 9% of the Ombudsman\u2019s recommendations regarding correctional facility conditions. Overcrowding has significantly worsened, with inmate numbers rising to 2,757. The report highlights critical healthcare issues and inadequate resources, while the Minister of Law and Justice plans future rehabilitation projects for correctional facilities. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":67888,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[7381,5233,7382,245,1120],"class_list":["post-67889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community","tag-correctional-facilities","tag-healthcare","tag-inmate-conditions","tag-lesotho","tag-ombudsman"],"yoast_head":"\nLCS Fails to Implement Ombudsman Recommendations on Inmates - Lesotho<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Lesotho Correctional Service has largely ignored Ombudsman recommendations on inmate conditions, worsening overcrowding.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/all-news\/lcs-fails-to-implement-ombudsman-recommendations-on-inmates\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"LCS Fails to Implement Ombudsman Recommendations on Inmates\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Lesotho Correctional Service has largely ignored Ombudsman recommendations on inmate conditions, worsening overcrowding.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/all-news\/lcs-fails-to-implement-ombudsman-recommendations-on-inmates\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Lesotho\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-16T16:16:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-16T16:56:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/sites\/62\/2026\/04\/sm_1776358288.442456.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/all-news\/lcs-fails-to-implement-ombudsman-recommendations-on-inmates#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/all-news\/lcs-fails-to-implement-ombudsman-recommendations-on-inmates\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"LCS Fails to Implement Ombudsman Recommendations on Inmates\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-16T16:16:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-16T16:56:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/all-news\/lcs-fails-to-implement-ombudsman-recommendations-on-inmates\"},\"wordCount\":425,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/all-news\/lcs-fails-to-implement-ombudsman-recommendations-on-inmates#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/sites\/62\/2026\/04\/sm_1776358288.442456.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"correctional facilities\",\"healthcare\",\"inmate conditions\",\"Lesotho\",\"Ombudsman\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"community\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/all-news\/lcs-fails-to-implement-ombudsman-recommendations-on-inmates#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/all-news\/lcs-fails-to-implement-ombudsman-recommendations-on-inmates\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/all-news\/lcs-fails-to-implement-ombudsman-recommendations-on-inmates\",\"name\":\"LCS Fails to Implement Ombudsman Recommendations on Inmates - 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