Situated in the town of Mahara in the Western Province, it was built in 1875 by the British colonial government to ease the congestion at the Slave Island prison.

[1][2] It was used to house the prisoners employed in crushing stones at the Mahara quarry.

Prison officers on guard were assaulted and the revolver of the deputy jailor was seized by the riot leader.

An army team, headed by Major Bishop and assisted by the jailor, were able to take into custody forty escapees from the neighbourhood.

[1][4] A riot broke out in the facility on 30 November 2020, resulting in the deaths of eight prisoners.