MORE than 24 000 people aged between 15 and 60, were in jail countrywide during the first quarter of this year, the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) said in its latest set of statistics, with almost a quarter being remanded in custody awaiting bail or finalisation of trial and the rest serving set terms.

Some of the offences that these people were jailed for include theft, assault, burglary, robbery, migration related offences and drug-related offences.

Unemployed male local prisoners were mostly admitted for theft, assault and burglary, while employed female prisoners were admitted for committing theft, assault and fraud.

Unemployed female prisoners were mostly admitted for committing assault, theft and migration-related offences.

The ZimStat 2024 first quarter prison admissions and discharges statistics report was presented by the manager responsible for social statistics, Mr Tinashe Mwadiwa, and draws on administrative data on prisoners from Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) for use in the production of the quarterly prison admissions and discharges statistics reports.

The 2024 first quarter report sheds light on the prison population, the number and profile of prisoners sent to jail, and those who are discharged from the country's prison facilities.

"At the end of the first quarter of 2024 there were 24 068 prisoners in prison facilities throughout the country. Of the 24 068, 23 401 (97,2 percent) were males while 667 (2,8 percent) were females.

The prison population increased from 23 017 in the first quarter of 2023 to 24 068 in the first quarter of 2024.