Zimbabwe’s Prisons Should Reflect Modern-day Correctional Services – MP Says

The National Assembly has implored the Government to address the deplorable conditions in prison facilities across the country.

This follows a recent pardon by President Emmerson Mnangagwa of more than 4,000 inmates, in a move aimed at decongesting prisons.

Speaking in the National Assembly recently, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislator Ropafadzo Makumire said the current state of prisons undermines the goal of rehabilitating offenders.

“If we look at the state of most prisons in the country, you will see that they are in a deplorable state. Maybe Government should look into it to see what can be done. Most of them were built during the colonial era.

“If you go to most prisons, you will see that prisoners will be housed in one room with a toilet inside that same room. If you look at the architecture, there are no lights at night. Looking at the way these facilities were constructed, they were meant to make people feel the pain.

“When you look at it, these are places where people go for rehabilitation and their construction should reflect likewise. These places need to be rehabilitated so that they reflect modern-day correctional services,” said Makumire.

Last year, Parliament released a joint report that laid bare the deplorable conditions prevailing in prisons.

The report revealed that prisons are overcrowded, with capacities exceeded by 200 to 300 per cent.

Speaker of National Assembly Jacob Mudenda said the Government is in the process of addressing prison conditions.

“As far as I know, there is an arrangement of trying to make life better for the inmates. I believe that we will take heed of what you have said so that the places can be rehabilitated,” said Mudenda. *NewZW*