Gov’t to build ‘modern 2,000‑capacity prison’ in Brikama

“In a matter of months, or hopefully within a year, Mile Two will no longer be Mile Two,” Jatta declared. “There is a facility that has already been secured in Brikama called Nyambikala, with the capacity to house 2,000 inmates. These inmates will be trained in various skills so that when they leave, they can contribute meaningfully to society.” Jatta further disclosed that the Gambia Prison Service will be transformed into a Correctional Service, marking a decisive shift from punishment to rehabilitation and reintegration. “The Gambia Prison Service will no longer be the Gambia Prison Service. It is going to be a Correctional Service,” he said. He also revealed that a new Prison Service Bill, now in its final stages before submission to the National Assembly, contains key reforms aimed at improving conditions for both inmates and correctional officers. “There are many provisions embedded in the Prison Service Bill that will benefit correctional officers as well as inmates,” Jatta stated. The senior Interior Ministry official stressed that prisons should not be seen purely as places of punishment. “They are not there to be punished; they are there to be corrected,” he said. “Even if a person is a criminal, there is still an opportunity for reform.” The move to Brikama is expected to ease overcrowding and improve living conditions, addressing long‑standing complaints from inmates about Mile Two’s mosquito‑infested environment and poor facilities. With rehabilitation and skills training at the heart of the new correctional model, the government hopes to turn incarceration into an opportunity for transformation—ensuring that those who leave prison can reintegrate and contribute positively to Gambian society.