MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hassan Moallim Mohamud, has met with senior leaders of the Somali Custodial Corps in Mogadishu as the government seeks to strengthen prison services and advance reforms across the country’s corrections system.
The meeting focused on improving coordination between the ministry and the custodial corps, including efforts to modernize prison operations, digitize administrative systems and strengthen the skills of corrections personnel.
Officials also discussed improving the care, rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates, with the ministry pledging continued support for the custodial corps.
The Somali Custodial Corps, which operates under the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, is responsible for prison administration in Somalia. The country had 14 prison establishments and an estimated prison population of 2,799 people in 2023, according to the World Prison Brief.
The reforms form part of a broader effort to strengthen Somalia’s justice institutions. The government has been working with international partners on justice and corrections programmes that include prison management, judicial training, legal aid and improvements to court infrastructure.
In March 2024, Somalia opened a new prison and court complex in Mogadishu with support from international partners, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, as part of efforts to strengthen the rule of law and the country’s justice system.
The latest meeting underscores the government’s emphasis on modernising corrections while placing greater attention on rehabilitation and the treatment of inmates.
