Malawi Prisons ‘Working’ to Decongest Facilities

Malawi Prisons: Unimaginably congested Malawi Prisons: Unimaginably congested File Photo

The Malawi Prison Service says it is working on devising various ways of making sure that prisons in Malawi are not congested.

Chief Commissioner of Prisons, Wandika Phiri, says while land remains critical, the service will use available space to construct additional prison cells in the country.

“Congestion is still a challenge in our prison. But the service is taking some measures to decongest prison cells,” Phiri said.

Phiri said this on Friday in Ntcheu when Blantyre Synod of the Church of Central African Presbyterian (CCAP) donated a solar powered water pump to Ntcheu Prison.

Blantyre Synod’s Prison Chaplain, Reverend Stanley Chimesya, through Friends of Blantyre Synod from Australia, made available 14 Million Kwacha for the water project.

While the water problem is being addressed, Chimesya expressed the need to provide better food inmates and address some of the problems being faced by inmates.

"It is pathetic that inmates are going through hard times while in prisons. A lack of sleeping mats and blankets are some of the challenges they are going through beside food which is inadequate," he said.

Meanwhile, Blantyre Synod General Secretary, Reverend Dr. Billy Gama has said the synod is planning to reach out to Domasi, Mpyupyu and Zomba Central Prisons with similar water facilities to ease water challenges in the country's Prisons.

Prison facilities in the country are said be holding over 14,000 inmates against a capacity of 5,000.

This has been the contributing factor to the problem of congestion in the country’s prisons, posing a serious health risk among inmates.

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