Male’ Jail Annex 1 has been closed for renovation.

The convicts in Annex 1 were distributed to different jails on Monday.

Annex 1 was initially used as a facility to temporarily hold convicts being moved from Maafushi jail to Male’ or to islands, and to hold convicts sentenced to house arrest but with no guardian.

However, in 2016, the facility’s cells were increased and was used to imprison convicts long-term. The Correctional Service has stated that in the last four years, the facility was being used to hold the sick, elderly, and those with special needs.

The new government has declared that Annex 1 does not meet human rights standards and banned the correctional service from holding convicts in the facility.

Issues in the facility include the claustrophobic design of the cells which resemble steel cages, poor ventilation causing unbearable heat, and old and damaged toilets.

Annex 1 will only be used once it is improved enough to pass the international standards for prison facilities.