Govt. Set to Decongest Country's Prisons Amid Covid19
Image depicting levels of congestion in the country's prisons
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Minister of Homeland Security Richard Chimwendo Banda has revealed the government’s plans to pardon inmates, to contain further spread of Coronavirus in the country’s prisons.
This comes after a press statement by the Junior Prison Officers to the Ministry of Homeland Security on 10th August 2020, where they expressed fear that a lack of Personal Protective Equipment in the country’s prisons, makes them prone to catching the virus.
Chimwendo Banda told Zodiak Online Wednesday that the government has finalized its study if the country’s prisons in relation to the pandemic saying results have already been submitted to the president for final recommendations.
Banda says decongesting the prisons, is so far the best option.
“There was a committee that was set aside to look at how best we can decongest our prisons, the committee finalized its work yesterday and recommendations have been sent to the president,” says Banda.
The Minister added that the ministry “hopes that once all the processes have been followed, prisons will be decongested.”
He however feels this may be a daunting task where not many will be pardoned as the government only pardons worth a pardon.
The country’s prisons have an average of 13,300 inmates cumulatively.
As of 12 July, numbers of those that have tested positive for COVID 19 in the country’s prisons was at 139, of which 118 are inmates with 21 prison warders. One death was recorded of a prisoner.
