Women's prison in Manouba

Until the late 1960s, women in Tunisia used to be imprisoned inside special wards at the civil prison. A new women’s prison in Manouba was established in the western suburbs of the capital. This new prison was located at an old abandoned palace that dates back to the days of the Beys. This was a prison mainly dedicated for women, although other prisons also included wards for women, like the Musadin prison on the coast. There are also special rehabilitation centres for delinquent girls. The women's prison became especially popular since the early 1970s as students and leftist activists were detaineed here. In the 1990s, women human rights activists, leftists and Islamists were imprisoned here. 
Some of the instances of severe, painful injustice at the women’s prison included cases of childbirth and accompanying children (under 3 years of age). Generally, prisoners confirmed or alleged cases of torture and other abusive and degrading treatment, several cases of rape have been reported. The women’s prison in Manouba is perhaps one of the most overcrowded Tunisian prisons.