Cambodian prisons are more packed than ever, with inmate numbers up 23% and more than half of nearly two dozen prisons at 200% capacity or higher, local rights group Licadho recently reported, warning of persistent gaps in criminal justice reform.
Since 2010, the group has tracked Cambodia’s prison population boom, warning by 2018 – when prisons it monitored reached 175% capacity – that the country would rank among the world’s most overcrowded systems.
By July 2023, the World Prison Brief ranked Cambodia second globally for prison occupancy rates.
Eighteen of the 19 prisons Licadho has monitored surpassed capacity, with 11 operating at more than double by the end of 2024. These prisons hold over 45,000 individuals combined, a 23% increase from December 2023.
Cambodia typically has one prison per province, except in Kampot, which is currently sharing its facility with Kep due to construction.
The group points to mass pretrial detentions as a key driver, warning that building more prisons or expanding existing ones will not solve overcrowding or resource shortages.
As of December 2024, about 75% of people detained in prisons were in pretrial detention and yet to be convicted of a crime, according to Licadho.
“The government is doing little to reduce the justice system’s reliance on incarceration as the default response to those accused of violating the law,” it said.
Several government officials, including those from the General Department of Prisons, have acknowledged overcrowding and proposed reforms, including expanding facility capacity.
“However, the way in which prison infrastructures have already been adjusted has only intensified the issue,” Licadho said in its report, attributing worsened conditions to Kampot prison’s reconstruction, which divided existing cells and exacerbated already cramped and unhygienic living spaces.
General Prison Department director Chhorn Sanath referred inquiries to spokesperson Kheang Sonadin, who could not be reached for comment. Justice Ministry Secretary of State Chin Malin also could not be reached.
Currently, Kandal prison is the most overcrowded, holding more than 3,900 inmates in a space designed for just 600, pushing its occupancy rate above 650%.
Phnom Penh’s Prey Sar prison for men, also known as Correctional Center 1 (CC1), holds the largest number of inmates – over 8,000 – nearly 400% of its capacity, according to data provided by Licadho.
CC1 prison director Nouth Savna did not respond to messages sent via Telegram.
Cramped conditions in these facilities have led to numerous health issues and raised serious human rights concerns, including the unmet health needs of incarcerated women and minors, as outlined in international standards.
Kandal provincial prison director Em Nimol has acknowledged the overcrowding issue, confirming Licadho’s findings that the facility, designed for 3,000 inmates, now holds nearly 4,000. He attributed much of the increase to arrests related to drug offenses.
“Overcrowding leads to impacts such as difficulty sleeping and health issues,” Nimol said.
In 2024, more than 1,400 inmates were transferred to other facilities, he said. The Interior Ministry also endorsed a plan to relocate the Drug Rehabilitation Center to a 10-hectare site in Kandal Stung district to alleviate overcrowding, Nimol added.
Despite some actions taken by authorities, Licadho argues that more immediate, systemic reforms are needed to address Cambodia’s overcrowded prisons. These include limiting pretrial detention, granting bail to eligible detainees, using alternatives to detention for non-violent offenses, and releasing those held without legal grounds.
The group also calls for adherence to international human rights standards in detention facilities.
“Pretrial detention should be the last resort, as required by law. Additionally, consider granting bail to minors, pregnant individuals, and mothers with children, rather than imprisoning them for nonviolent offenses,” said Licadho operations director Am Sam Ath.
