Kandahar Central Jail
| Location | Kandahar, Afghanistan |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 31°37′08″N 65°40′05″E / 31.61889°N 65.66806°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Security class | Minimum |
| Capacity | 1,900 |
| Managed by | Ministry of Interior Affairs |
| Warden | Sayed Akhtar Mohammad Agha Hussaini |
Kandahar Central Jail, also known as Sarpuza Prison, is a minimum-security prison in Kandahar, Afghanistan. It is located next to the Kandahar-Herat Highway in the Sarpuza neighborhood, which is between the neighborhoods of Mirwais Mena and Shahr-e Naw, in the western part of the city. Its current warden is Sayed Akhtar Mohammad Agha Hussaini.
The Kandahar Central Jail has been historically used for the incarceration of common criminals of Kandahar Province, some of whom turn out to be innocent and released. In the last two decades, the facility has also been used to house Taliban and other insurgents. In 2017, the prison had approximately 1,900 inmates.
The prison has been subject to two major escapes, first in a coordinated attack in May 2008, and latter in a tunneling escape in April 2011. There has been discussions on relocating Kandahar Central Jail to the neighboring Daman District, which is to the southeast of Kandahar District. Over 1,000 prisoners were released from the prison by Taliban forces in August 2021, after they gained control of the city as part of the 2021 Taliban offensive.