Kandahar Central Jail
Kandahar Central Jail, also known as Sarpuza Prison or Sarposa Prison, is a minimum security prison in Kandahar, Afghanistan. It has been historically used for the incarceration of common criminals of Kandahar Province. In the last two decades, the facility has also been used to hold up Taliban and other insurgents. The name "Sarpuza" is a historical neighborhood in the city of Kandahar. As of 2017, the prison has approximately 1,900 inmates, and its warden is Col. Abdul Wali Hesarak.
| Location | Kandahar, Afghanistan |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 31°37′08″N 65°40′05″E |
| Status | Operational |
| Security class | Minimum |
| Capacity | 1,900 |
| Opened | c. 1970s |
| Managed by | Ministry of Interior Affairs |
The prison has been subject to two major escapes, first in a coordinated attack in May 2008, and more recently in a tunneling escape that occurred in April 2011. The Afghan government is in the process of relocating Kandahar Central Jail to the Daman, Afghanistan, which is located outside the city limits to the south. Over 1,000 prisoners were released from the prison by Taliban insurgents in August 2021, after they gained control of the city as part of the Taliban offensive.