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The Lebanese prison system faces numerous challenges that hinder its primary role of accommodating prisoners. Chief among these challenges are overcapacity, unsanitary facilities and inadequate access to nutrition.
There are 38 detention centers in Lebanon, with 25 affiliated with the Interior Security Forces (ISF) and the remaining 13 linked to the Lebanese Army.
The capacity of these prisons, from the central to sub-prisons and judicial palace, is 3,200 prisoners. This number follows international human rights standards, which require 3.2 square meters per prisoner. However, according to the ISF, the number of prisoners stands at an alarming 7,736, of which 265 are women and around 200 are juveniles. The Roumieh Central Prison, designed to accommodate 1,200 inmates, grapples with 4,000 prisoners.
The roots of this overcrowding issue include the insufficient construction of new prisons and delays in judicial procedures, ranging from issuing judgments to bail releases. Economic and social problems have also played a role, prompting many judges to declare prolonged strikes and neglect their duties.
As a result, 80% of prisoners are in pretrial detention, according to Caretaker Minister of Interior Bassam Mawlawi.
Moreover, the transfer of detainees to trial poses a critical obstacle because of the malfunction of transportation mechanisms or the absence of individuals available for detainee transport.
The security tensions along the Lebanese southern border have also intensified, further complicating the situation. The ISF had to close certain facilities considered at risk, particularly within the sensitive areas of Tyre and Nabatiyeh.
This Is Beirut spoke with Georges, the father of a 22-year-old prisoner who spent six months in jail. “My son and his inmates took turns to sleep. On other nights, he would sleep standing up,” he stated. This is common across detention centers and prisons in Lebanon. Detainees take turns sleeping, some standing to make room for others or sleeping on their sides to maximize space. Some even resort to sleeping in the bathroom.
Due to the overcapacity of state prisons, detention centers, including those in police stations, precincts, and judicial police units, where inmates are held in custody until trial, have become places of prolonged detention. They are no longer limited to 48 hours, followed by another 48 hours at the prosecutor’s discretion, as stipulated by the Code of Criminal Procedure, but have become de facto prisons.
Before Georges’ son was taken to the Roumieh prison, he spent two months in custody at the Baabda judicial unit awaiting trial. He was placed in a large room with over 100 inmates. This room lacked access to sunlight, and the inmates were barely provided with enough food and water. Georges had to supply his son with the necessities. However, other inmates do not have that privilege.
As judicial prisons are not intended to house prisoners for more than 96 hours, they are not equipped like regular prisons. They lack proper climate control or access to sunlight, sufficient food, water, or hot water. The food, if any, these jails receive comes from Roumieh Central Prison and is inconsistent due to transportation and workforce issues.
The absence of sanitation in prisons also leads to health problems for prisoners, such as scabies, allergies and unpleasant odors from excessive sweating, particularly in the intense summer heat. “My son contracted scabies in Roumieh prison and had to be taken to the hospital,” says Georges.
Furthermore, rehabilitation facilities in prisons are subpar. Overcrowding has transformed them into prison cells at Roumieh prison.
According to Tatiana Nassar, a criminal psychologist, the lack of rehabilitation poses a significant risk to prisoners.
“The purpose of rehabilitating prisoners is to reduce their risk of re-offending and help them find a new purpose in life. It motivates them and equips them with tools to manage their emotions and feelings, leading to social improvement and accountability for their actions,” says Nassar.
She continues, “The absence of rehabilitation not only increases the chances of reoffending but also causes chaotic behavior in prisoners, such as long-lasting anger, poor social life and boredom. Prisoners lose their sense of hope and vision for the future, leading to more aggressive behaviors.”
Furthermore, Nassar believes that the harrowing conditions in which prisoners live are affecting their mental health, “Diseases, poor health conditions, inadequate sleeping conditions and unmet basic needs trigger rage and the urge to disobey.”
She also emphasizes that while psychological support is offered by some organizations, no clear strategies are in place, “Not every prisoner receives psychological support, and even if they do, it is not systematic and lacks a plan.”
In brief, urgent attention and proactive measures are imperative to rectify the longstanding issues in the Lebanese prison system, as no progress has been made in addressing the prison system dossier to assist the helpless prisoners.
