AREAS OF CONCERN Overcrowding Fen lithe prison population has decreased between 1997 and 2001, 'overcrowding remains a problem. In the last few months it had worsened. This was not only due to the floods and transfer of prisonci s to safer but already crowded prisons, but also to anti-clime operation launched at the beginning of 2001 to arrest people "roaming in the streets, not working and suspected to be criminals". While the capacity at Maputo Central Prison is 800, the population the day of our visit was about 2000, 900 of who were convicted prisoners. 15m by 15 m cells were accommodating moie than 70 pusoners. At Tete Centi al Prison, the capacity is 120, yet there were 357 prisoners the day of the visit. 5in x 7m cells meant for 10 to 15 prisoners were accommodating more than 50 prisoners. At Maputo Civil Prison the theoretical capacity is 250. The actual population was 611 the day of our visit; it had been as high as 700 the month before. Overcrowding is affecting prisons and police cells. It is probably one of the main causes for the deaths of about 100 prisoners in a police cell in Montepucz in November 2000. Police said the inmates had suffocated during the night. They had been put in a small cell (7m by 3m) and despite the deaths of ten pr isoners the previous night, it was alleged that nothing had been done to prevent the second tragedy. An inquiry was ongoing when the delegation was in Mozambique and the Special Rapporteur would very much appreciate receiving the final report and conclusions. The sources of this widespread overcrowding are many: The buildings' capacity and their age which mak e lir ] tiding and improvement difficult or impossible. The high proportion ofpeople awaiting trial in prison: 72.3 °A) of the prison population is on remand. Only 7.9% of the people aged between 16 and 20 years of age are convicted. 13.8% of the 13 to 25 year olds are convicted while they represent 62% of the total prison population. At Maputo Central Prison, several prisonets have been on remand for 2 to 3 years. The delegation found that some of them had been awaiting 26 27