By Linda Kwanjana
Minister of Homeland Security, Ezekiel Peter Ching’oma says is geared to take Prison Bill to Parliament saying once the bill passes into law will address issues of congestion.
Speaking in Lilongwe when the Minister toured Malawi Prison Services Headquarters, Ching’oma beamoned overcrowding which the Malawi Prisons are facing.
“We have the problem of overcrowding, whereby the capacity as it is now, the capacity of all prisons is 8000 inmates but the prisoners that we have is around 17,000 which is like double the capacity that we are supposed to have in our prisons. So in this new Act, there are provisions that will see prisoners being given community punishments whereby they will not all be needed to be in prison,” he said.
He said the good news is that the process of enacting that bill into law has already started.
“Of course, it’s something that I have found already in the pipeline, but we will push for the enactment of this new Prison Service Act that will address some of the problems that are being encountered now by the prison services,” he said.
The Minister commended the great work which the Malawi Prison Services is doing in the country.
“You know, I came here this morning just to appreciate the mandate that the prisoners are doing. And the work that they are doing and the challenges that they are facing. So far, I can say we still have work to do,” he said.
Speaking during the tour, Malawi Prison Commissioner General (CG) Wiscot Ng’ombeyagwada commended the Minister for visiting the Nation Headquarters. Ng’ombeyagwada said the bill which the Minister is championing is very important because it focuses on Prisons integration with the community, while the act being used now focuses on punishing.
He also said that the bill which being championed will allow inmates to do community work instead of committing them to prisons.
