In several detention centers, the majority of inmates receive no support from their families. "More than half of detainees are abandoned. This phenomenon intensifies when sentences are lengthy. To survive, these isolated prisoners depend exclusively on cassava, which constitutes the daily meal provided by the State, as well as donations from various organizations," according to a penitentiary source. This deprivation extends to basic hygiene products, which they lack entirely.
Faced with this situation, associations intervene to fill the gap left by the absence of resources for these detainees to meet their vital needs. On June 23, the organization Action of Christians for the Abolition of Torture (Acat) Madagascar, which works to improve detention conditions, visited detainees in prisons in Mahajanga, Antanimora, Antsirabe and Toamasina, as part of the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. It provided hygiene and cleaning products, disinfectant, sports equipment, and medicines, including nutritional supplements, to detainees, thanks to support from their financial partners.
Their work extends beyond material aid. "We visit them once or twice a month for listening sessions. We receive forty people at each visit. They are then referred to a referral lawyer who ensures follow-up," explained Laure Rabetokotany, coordinator at Acat Madagascar.