2027 Budget: 85.7 billion CFA francs for Justice, prisons lose 1.6 billion

The judicial system saw a 24.3% increase in funding, while child protection received 9.2 billion CFA francs. Despite the challenges facing the prison system, the budget for the Penitentiary Administration decreased by 5.4%, from 30.9 billion to 29.2 billion CFA francs. The Ministry of Justice will have 85.76 billion CFA francs in payment appropriations for the 2027 fiscal year.

Presented by the Minister of Justice, Moussa Sarr, the draft budget shows an increase of 6.2% compared to the initial 2026 finance law. But behind this overall increase, the budgetary decisions reveal contrasting trends, particularly between the judicial justice system and the prison administration.

In terms of commitment authorizations, the department's budget is set at 93.24 billion CFA francs. In terms of payment appropriations, it amounts to 85.76 billion CFA francs, compared to 80.72 billion CFA francs in 2026. This increase of more than 5 billion CFA francs should allow for the continuation of reforms undertaken in the sector, notably the modernization of the courts, the digitization of procedures, the improvement of detention conditions, and the strengthening of judicial protection for children.

In the allocation of expenditures, personnel costs account for the largest share, at nearly 39.94 billion CFA francs, or 46.6% of the budget. Acquisitions of goods and services represent 30.49 billion CFA francs, or 35.6% of the total budget. Investments carried out by the State are estimated at 11.85 billion CFA francs.

Prisons lose 1.6 billion CFA francs, the judicial system gains ground

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This is one of the main contrasts in this draft budget. While the "Judicial Justice" program benefits from a significant increase of 24.3%, the prison administration's resources are decreasing. Funding for the judicial justice system will rise from 26.18 billion CFA francs in 2026 to 32.54 billion CFA francs in 2027, an increase of 6.35 billion CFA francs. This allocation is intended to finance, in particular, the operation of the courts, legal aid, community justice centers, and the computerization of criminal records.

Specifically, 800 million CFA francs are allocated for legal aid, 484 million CFA francs for community justice centers, and 465.5 million CFA francs for the criminal records computerization project. Conversely, the prison administration budget is reduced from 30.91 billion CFA francs to 29.23 billion CFA francs, a decrease of 1.68 billion CFA francs. This 5.4% reduction comes at a time when improving prison conditions remains a major priority. The explanatory report indicates that in 2026, the daily allowance for the maintenance of prisoners was maintained at 1,300 CFA francs per person, including 1,100 CFA francs for food and 200 CFA francs for healthcare.

For 2027, the Ministry has allocated 6.26 billion CFA francs for food for inmates and 1.14 billion CFA francs for their medical care. 2 billion CFA francs will be allocated to security in prisons and correctional facilities, while 900 million CFA francs are earmarked for equipping and modernizing prison infrastructure. Initial and ongoing training for staff will also receive 1.2 billion CFA francs.

Enhanced child protection and digitalization

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Another sector benefiting from an increase is the judicial and social protection of children. Its budget will rise from 8.14 billion CFA francs in 2026 to 9.22 billion CFA francs in 2027, representing a 13.2% increase. This funding is intended, in particular, to support the care of vulnerable children. The ministry has allocated 2.49 billion CFA francs for their placement in residential or semi-residential care, 670.3 million CFA francs for improving access to and the quality of socio-educational services, and 372.8 million CFA francs for community-based care.

The figures from the 2026 report give an idea of the scale of the needs. In the first half of the year, the Open Environment Educational Action (AEMO) services provided support to 7,579 minors, including 4,476 boys and 3,103 girls. For their part, child protection facilities accommodated 3,732 minors. Digital transformation is also among the department's priorities. Following the launch of the e-Justice platform in September 2026, the Ministry intends to continue the digitization of judicial procedures.

For 2027, the project has been allocated 1.153 billion CFA francs. The overall cost of this reform, planned for the period 2025-2029, is estimated at 10.7 billion CFA francs. The "Good Governance and Human Rights" program also sees an increase of 47.6%, with a budget of 1.12 billion CFA francs, compared to 761.8 million CFA francs in 2026.

Conversely, the program dedicated to oversight, coordination, and administrative management has seen a 7.5% decrease in funding, from 14.51 billion to 13.43 billion CFA francs. Minister Moussa Sarr intends to continue building a more accessible, humane, and modern justice system. However, the reduction in resources allocated to the prison administration raises a significant question about the means available to support the stated goals of improving detention conditions and social reintegration.