Mandera Prison

Mandera Prison

Location in Somaliland
Location	Mandera, Somaliland
Coordinates	09°54′43″N 44°42′42″E / 9.91194°N 44.71167°E / 9.91194; 44.71167
Status	Operational
Security class	High-security
Capacity	Around 300 (2010 est.)
Opened	Unknown, between 1884 and 1 November 1949

Mandera Prison, also sometimes spelled as Mandhera or Mandheera Prison, is an isolated, high-security^[1] central prison located in the town of Mandera in the Maroodi Jeex Region of the self-proclaimed nation of Somaliland, about 95 km (59 mi) northeast of the capital Hargeisa.^[2] The prison has been in operation since Somaliland was still a British protectorate, and to this day functions as a major prison within the region.

There is a generally poor reception of the prison from those who have been inside in recent years, specifically guards mistreating inmates in some instances, and the deteriorating state of the building itself after years of continuous use. Furthermore, the prison in recent decades has grown to hold a disproportionate number of juvenile prisoners for minor crimes. Both domestic and foreign observers have condemned the prison for detaining journalists and non-ruling party politicians en masse, and for allowing executions.