Antanimora Prison

Antanimora Prison, also known as Central Prison of Antanimora, officially Maison Centrale Antanimora – Antanarivo,[1] is a prison in Antanimora, Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. It holds a maximum of 800 inmates. In 2019, it was reported that more than 4,000 detainees were being held there, many of them still awaiting trial.[2] The prison has been the subject of several documentaries such as Behind Bars: The World’s Toughest Prisons. Its lack of hygiene has been criticized by international organisations.

The prison is separated in blocks and provides one meal per day of only boiled cassava.[3] A US human rights report found that chronic malnutrition is the leading cause of death among prisoners in Madagascar and that the condition affects up to 2/3 of the inmates.[4] A study in 2019 found that 38% of female prisoners at Antanimora Prison are undernourished due to the lack of healthy food, low calorie intake, and lack of financial assistance.[5]