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Government urges innovation in prison services

Malawi has urged prison services across the continent to be innovative in their work as crime is becoming more sophisticated following technological advancements crime syndicates are exploiting to outsmart criminal justice.

Principal Secretary Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security Bensone Chisamile has said this in Lilongwe on Tuesday during a planning committee meeting for the African Correctional Services Association (Acsa) fourth biennial conference scheduled for August.

From L-R: Wandika Phiri, Chisamile, Nkhoma and Uganda acting commissioner of prisons Moses Kakungulu during meeting
From L-R: Wandika Phiri, Chisamile, Nkhoma and Uganda acting commissioner of prisons Moses Kakungulu during meeting

He said: “You will agree with me that technological advancements have resulted into phenomenal growth of cybercrime which target our societies because of numerous vulnerabilities.

“To achieve the goal and objective of Acsa and its member States, we need to stay focused and work harder. We need to promote innovativeness and always strive to be ahead of criminals in terms of knowledge and sophistication.”

Malawi Prison Services Chief Commissioner Kennedy Nkhoma said Acsa member States face similar challenges with overcrowding topping the list.

He said that the forthcoming conference will be a perfect forum for trying to find solutions to problems being faced by the member States.

Last week, Nkhoma asked central government to consider engaging prisoners in different projects and other income generating activities to save billions of kwacha.

In an interview with The Nation, Nkhoma said government is losing a lot of money on services which can freely be offered by inmates in the country’s prisons.

He said his department has many prisoners talented in diverse skills such as carpentry, bricklaying,farming and mechanics which government can economically benefit from.

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