Prisons in Uganda are overcrowded.  This prevailing situation is costly to government in terms of maintaining the inmates and also affects some inmates negatively because they need not have been imprisoned after all.

The prison decongestion programme is therefore set up to:

• • reduce the number of inmates that are unconstitutionally detained.
  • reduce the number of Juvenile offenders under detention.
  • Reduce backlog of cases.
  • Reduced number of petty offenders in prison.
  • Decongestion of prisons.
  • Conciliation of parties.

Under accordance of all affected parties interim remedies like bail or advocating for non-custodial sentences like community service and fines are being applied.