Kazakhstan Prison Service Reports 78 Facilities and New Almaty Juvenile Centre
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Kazakhstan's prison service reported Friday it operates 78 correctional institutions, including a juvenile facility that opened in Almaty in December 2025. Eight new housing blocks were completed in four regions in 2024, and authorities estimate an amnesty linked to the new constitution will affect more than 15,000 people, including about 1,500 prisoners.
Key Facts
- Kazakhstan operates 78 correctional institutions, all functioning in routine mode.
- A new juvenile detention centre opened in Almaty in December 2025 and was built with investor funds.
- Eight new housing blocks were completed in 2024 at four institutions in Astana, Akmola, Atyrau, and Pavlodar regions.
- The amnesty tied to the new constitution covers criminal and administrative offences, with the administrative amnesty held for the first time in Kazakhstan's history.
- Authorities estimate the criminal amnesty will affect more than 15,000 people, including about 1,500 serving prison sentences.
The Prison Network
Kazakhstan's Committee of the Criminal-Executive System reported that 78 penal institutions currently function across the country. All establishments are operating in routine mode, with infrastructure upgraded as budget funds and private investment become available. The network includes specialized facilities for minors, with a new centre added in Almaty at the end of 2025. Eight new housing blocks were completed in 2024 at four institutions located in Astana, Akmola Region, Atyrau Region, and Pavlodar Region. These additions expanded existing facilities rather than creating new standalone prisons.
Almaty Juvenile Facility
In December 2025, Almaty commissioned a modern institution for juvenile offenders. The facility was financed by private investors. The committee described the facility as modern and built specifically for minors.
Amnesty and Constitution
Kazakhstan is implementing a broad amnesty tied to the adoption of the new constitution. The law covers both criminal and administrative offences, with the administrative amnesty being held for the first time in Kazakhstan's history. Authorities estimate the criminal amnesty will affect more than 15,000 people. About 1,500 of those are serving sentences directly in places of deprivation of liberty.
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Kazakhstan Prison Service Reports 78 Facilities and New Almaty Juvenile Centre
