MALE’ — The Maldives government has begun preparations for a new central jail to be built in Uthuru Thilafalhu — a reclaimed patch of land near Male’ — as the country grapples with an uncomfortable truth: it locks up more people per capita than any other nation in South Asia. The facility, which will have capacity for up to 3,000 inmates, is envisioned as a “permanent solution” to the country’s fragmented and outdated prison system, according to Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihsan, a former military man now tasked with overseeing prison reform. Once completed, existing jails in Maafushi and Hinmafushi … Continue reading Incarceration in Paradise: Maldives Builds Mega Prison Amid Region’s Highest Jail Rate