By Pemphero Malimba:
The Malawi Prison Service (MPS) says it expects the new Prisons Act to help reduce the country’s reoffending rate, which currently stands at 30 percent.
This follows President Lazarus Chakwera’s assent to 13 bills into law last week, including one concerning the management of the country’s correctional facilities.
The Prisons Bill sought to repeal the existing Prisons Act and replace it with legislation that conforms to constitutional and international standards, adopts a human rights-based approach to prison management and focuses on the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates into society.
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This is expected to be achieved through the promotion of the parole system, the establishment of a Prison Labour Fund and the creation of open prisons and halfway homes across the country.
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MPS spokesperson Steve Meke said the assent to the bill aligns with the vision and mission of the service.
“The new law will reduce congestion. Inmates will have early release from prison, of course under the supervision of parole officers and, to a great extent, this will reduce the prison population.
“Parole will also assist inmates to gradually and successfully reintegrate into society, thereby reducing the risk of reoffending,” Meke said.
He added that the establishment of the Prison Labour Fund is a step in the right direction, as it would unlock economic benefits for correctional facilities.
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The fund is expected to benefit the inmates themselves in particular, as a certain percentage will be reserved for the maintenance of rehabilitation activities and tools or equipment.
“Another portion will be set aside for inmates to ensure they have something to start with upon release. This will give them economic strength, which was not available before and will serve as a major motivation for reformation, rehabilitation and successful reintegration,” Meke said.
Victor Mhango, Executive Director of the Centre for Human Rights Education, Advice and Assistance, which works closely with MPS to improve correctional systems, said the organisation will support the implementation of the law.
“This includes finalising the necessary operational guidelines to ensure its promises are swiftly realised,” Mhango said, insisting that MPS’s target to reduce recidivism is achievable.
He added that the new law moves away from punitive incarceration and focuses instead on rehabilitation, reintegration and restoration, which he described as a progressive shift that aligns with best practices regionally and globally.
The new prisons law replaces the Prisons Act, which was enacted in 1956.
Malawi’s 29 prison facilities currently hold about 17,000 inmates, although they have a holding capacity of only around 8,000.
