Western Bahr el Ghazal state authorities plan to release dozens of inmates starting today because of overcrowding in prisons.

The State Minister of Gender and Social Welfare Naima Abass told a group of women in Wau that the decision came after officials decided it was unfair to indefinitely hold prisoners simply because they could not pay fines. 

“The people are suffering,” she said. “It is not good to be in the prison because you are unable to pay 150 SSP. Now if we started to carry out contributions, wouldn’t we be able to pay the 150 SSP?”

Abass said the releases will start today with 20 prisoners, but it will not apply to prisoners who have been convicted of rape and immorality.