Roumieh Prison

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Roumieh prison (Arabic: سجن رومية) is the largest and most notorious Lebanese prison located in Roumieh, Matn district. It regularly holds nearly 5,500 prisoners and has been deemed to be very overcrowded. Roumieh Prison holds convicted prisoners and prisoners on remand. It holds juveniles, women and men, all in separate sections.^[1]

Although regarded as one of the best correctional facilities in Lebanon, Roumieh prison still lacks the minimum requirements to meet the United Nations standards.^[2]

On April 7th 2008, a mutiny erupted in a wing of the prison and prisoners armed with make-shift knives held five prisons guards as hostages. Security officials stated that the initial protest was fueled by both the unfair imprisonment of a detainee found innocent by the Lebanese justice as well as the poor conditions of detention. The mutiny was contained after security forces found a compromise with the detainees. ^[3]