FEMALE prisoners should be eligible for home leave while
serving their jail terms and an open prison system would go a long way in
preventing the disruption of their lives while they are incarcerated, Zimbabwe
Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) Commissioner-General Paradzai Zimondi
has said.
In a speech read on his behalf by the Senior Assistant
Commissioner Commanding Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, Lambart Janah yesterday
at the Africa Prisons and Correctional Day Commemorations at Khami Prison
yesterday, Comm-Gen Zimondi said an open prison system would help in the
further rehabilitation of prisoners. He said such a step would be the
continuation of reformative steps that began with the liberation of Zimbabwe in
1980.
“Our strides towards reform as a country have always been
progressive beginning in 1980 and are marked by significant changes. For
instance, in the year 2005 the ZPCS crafted a Rehabilitation Policy in an
endeavour to spearhead the rehabilitation thrust. Such an effort was cemented
by the rebranding of the organisation in the year 2013 as I have already
alluded to earlier on . . . On a related note, in our efforts in modernising
our approach in correctional management systems this saw us, soon after the
country’s independence, establishing a more humane correctional centre that is
the Connemara Open Prison which houses male inmates but we have not stopped as
plans are also ongoing to establish other open prison facilities for females
across the provinces.
“Government has already approved sites in Marondera and
Mutare to start with. Progress on the implementation in this regard is being
delayed by inadequacies in the resource base. However, as soon as resources permit,
execution of the projects would commence in earnest,” he said.
Comm-Gen Zimondi said such a system would be to the benefit
of female prisoners.
“In the same vein ladies and gentlemen, let me highlight
the importance of establishing open prisons to female inmates. Females are very
important and sensitive constituent within our communities, whose roles favour
that they are in constant touch with family and the community as opposed to
outright incarceration. Furthermore, the open prison system is more conducive
for facilitating inmates’ rehabilitation and successful reintegration given
that it is at most serving as a halfway home.
“In this regard, inmates go on home leave while serving
their prison terms thereby ensuring that family relations and ties are kept
open and intact. As inmates go on home leave they interact and stay with their
families thus preparing for their release. Upon release, they will not be new
persons hence the re-integration process would have commenced while one would
be serving his/her prison term,” he said.
Comm-Gen Zimondi said for this to become a reality, the
reformation of the ZPCS needed to continue. The participation of well-wishers
and members of civic society was crucial in making this a reality.
“Ladies and gentlemen may I be quick to point out our
strides in achieving our vision which is ‘to become a leading correctional
service provider in the region and beyond,’ resonates well with ACSA’S clarion
call for reform and is being aided by significant responses for reform and is
being aided by significant responses for collaborative engagements with our
development partners and stakeholders that include civic and faith based
organisations and the corporate world as well as some individuals whom we have
called through our open door policy.
“Thus with this in mind we continuously appeal and insist
on our invitations to the communities to continue with such commendable
gestures by working with us in programmes that promote successful
rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders,” he said. Sunday News
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