List of prisons in Afghanistan

Further information on prisons in other countries: list of prisons

There are between 24 and 77 prisons in Afghanistan.[1][2][3][4] As of 2023, the total number of prisoners in the country is approximately 14,000 of which up to 1,100 are females.[5][6] The following is an incomplete list of prisons in Afghanistan:

Prisons in Afghanistan
Prison Status Classification Managed Opened Capacity Location
Parwan Detention Facility Operational Maximum Ministry of Defense 2009 ? Bagram
Pul-e-Charkhi prison Operational Minimum Ministry of Interior 1970s 5,000 Kabul
Herat Prison[7] Operational Minimum[8] Ministry of Interior ? 2,000 Herat
Kandahar Prison[9] Operational Minimum Ministry of Interior ? 1,900[10] Kandahar
Nangarhar Prison[11] Operational Minimum Ministry of Interior ? 1,700[12] Jalalabad
Balkh Prison[13] Operational Minimum Ministry of Interior ? ? Mazar-i-Sharif[14]
Ghazni Prison[15] Operational Minimum Ministry of Interior ? 500[16] Ghazni
Khost Prison[17] Operational Minimum Ministry of Interior ? 500 Khost
Kunduz Prison Operational Minimum Ministry of Interior ? Over 500[18] Kunduz
Helmand Prison[19][20] Operational Minimum Ministry of Interior ? ? Lashkar Gah
Salt Pit Closed ? United States ? ? ?
Dark prison Closed ? United States ? ? ?
Total capacity 20,000[5] (current)
  1. ^ "Pajhwok obtains list of 5,000 Taliban prisoners". Pajhwok Afghan News. 28 March 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  2. ^ "UN Finds Progress in Torture Eradication in Afghan Prisons". TOLOnews. 17 April 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  3. ^ "UN: Some Progress in Afghanistan Torture Eradication, But Much Left To Do". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 17 April 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  4. ^ "More Than 300 Afghan Children, Many Older Than 5, Home Is Mother's Cellblock". The New York Times. 23 December 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  5. ^ a b "More Than 1000 Women Imprisoned in Afghanistan: Prison Authority". TOLOnews. 12 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  6. ^ "Officials: Over 12,000 Imprisoned Across Country". TOLOnews. 7 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  7. ^ Karimi, Storai (3 December 2016). "55 prisoners released from Herat prison". Pajhwok Afghan News.
  8. ^ "Behind Bars". 16 February 2011.
  9. ^ Naadem, Bashir Ahmad (30 December 2018). "Kandahar Central Jail should move out of city: Residents". Pajhwok Afghan News.
  10. ^ "60 prisoners released from Kandahar jail". Pajhwok Afghan News. 6 March 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  11. ^ Zarifi, Yousuf (6 June 2018). "131prisoners released from Nangarhar jail". Pajhwok Afghan News.
  12. ^ Zarifi, Yousuf (10 August 2017). "34 prisoners set free from Nangarhar prison". Pajhwok Afghan News.
  13. ^ Ihsas, ‌Zabihullah (27 December 2017). "Prisoners flee Balkh jail after gunbattle with security guards". Pajhwok Afghan News.
  14. ^ "ICRC Audiovisual Archives". International Committee of the Red Cross. 1 December 2015.
  15. ^ "Afghan Taliban storm Ghazni prison, freeing hundreds". BBC News. 14 September 2015.
  16. ^ "Taliban frees hundreds in deadly Afghan prison raid". CBS News. 14 September 2015.
  17. ^ Haroon, Mohammad (8 October 2015). "Khost prison security beefed up after Kunduz jailbreak". Pajhwok Afghan News.
  18. ^ "Taliban attack Afghan city of Kunduz, free inmates". CNN. 28 September 2015.
  19. ^ "ICRC Audiovisual Archives". International Committee of the Red Cross. 24 November 2015.
  20. ^ "Exclusive: Fearing more jailbreaks, Afghanistan rushed inmates out of Helmand". Reuters. 27 October 2015.