27 August 2005
editorial
PRISONS anywhere in the world are places for reform. They are meant to help offenders to realise that what they were involved in outside the high walls was bad. Time spent inside is supposed to help the convicts reflect on their past. In fact confinement, curtailing one's freedom ought to be enough punished.
However, prisons in Zambia are far a little worse and they can never pass as institutions for reform. There are stories of many inmates having to come out worse than they went in. Some of them come back to society even to commit more crimes.
Though coming out of prison as a hard-core criminal is not bad enough, congestion in these institutions is the order of the day. Infectious diseases have found a very fertile ground. What with these days of Tuberculosis and AIDS, the picture is quite gloomy.
It is with this background that the revelation of another maximum prison being opened should be encouraging news indeed.
Those who have visited Mukobeko Maximum prison in Kabwe or any other prison in Zambia will agree that the earlier another facility is opened the better. Such a move is not only good for the convicts but it is a progressive move in the continued promotion of human rights and fostering good governance in this country.
Another prison will provide a lot of relief not only for thousands of convicts at Mukobeko but even the members of staff there. To have to deal with too many prisoners is itself a security risk. Many times convicts have escaped while under a warder, not because the officer is negligent but simply that he is looking after too many inmates than he ought to.
Another maximum prison will decongest Mukobeko and help reduce the rate of infections. Once the rate of infections is scaled down, Government will also save something from the amount it spends on the health and treatment of prisoners.
More healthy prisoners means that the convicts can be used in more productive ventures that contribute to the rehabilitation process.
Therefore, it is good that the Government has been encouraging the idea of open air prisons. Perhaps it is high time that the international community and others who tout so much about human rights came in and assisted in the development of such a programme that would contribute to the reforming of the prisoners.
While those serving sentences were being punished, a more progressive thought is to encourage institutions and facilities that will help the culprits to reform.
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