Malawi Prison Service says there is good progress in ensuring that every district has its own prison in to reduce congestion in existing formations.
In an interview on Tuesday, prison spokesperson Steve Meke said they have been in talks with chiefs and officials from different district councils that do not have prisons, including Salima and Mchinji to find land or unused old structures to be used as prisons in those districts.
land. | Serah Chikwapula, Mana
He said: “The councils should consider allocating land for the construction of prison facilities in the respective districts so that people should not travel long distances to visit their relatives in prisons elsewhere.
“This will also help in decongesting our prisons.”
Meke further said that if prisons are constructed in every district, it will help to smoothen the reintegration of offenders back into society.
On his part, Centre for Human Rights Education, Advice and Assistance (Chreaa) executive director Victor Mhango said every district must have essential human rights institutions, including a police station, a court and a prison.
He said when police arrest a suspect, the person has to go to court, and if the court finds the suspect guilty, it has to sentence him according to the law, “but, mostly, that is not the case as limited resources force those being charged to remain in police cells.”
Mhango also said that the buildings have to be modelled to withstand climate shocks, including heat-waves.
Currently, the country does not have prisons in seven out of its 28 districts.
