Relief for female inmates

Source: Relief for female inmates | The Herald

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa

Zvamaida Murwira
Senior Reporter
Cabinet yesterday approved the principles of the Prisons and Correctional Services Bill and Witness Protection Bill, with the former seeking to cater for prisoners, with special needs like female prisoners with infants and pregnant women.

The Prisons and Correctional Services Bill will modernise the prisons legislation to ensure that it meets the international norms and standards regarding prisons administration, including the way prisoners should be treated.

This was said by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa, during a post-Cabinet briefing yesterday.

She said the Bill, which was presented by Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, will ensure that the prison system caters for the needs of vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, juvenile offenders as well as persons with disabilities, among others.

Minister Mutsvangwa said the Bill will also focus on restorative justice through rehabilitation rather than incarceration of offenders.

“Cabinet advises that the parole system will be broadened to provide for the eligibility of every prisoner to apply for parole regardless of the nature of the sentences they are serving.  The legislation will provide for the establishment of correctional community centres throughout the country which will essentially be open prisons,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

“These centres will also ensure the decongestion of prisons as certain prisoners will be released from standard prisons to reside in such community centres. They will also serve the purpose of easing the transition of inmates from incarceration life to community life.”

She said the proposed legislation seeks to promote community involvement in prisons and correctional services to ensure that inmates are well accepted back into their communities and within their families.

“The Prisons and Correctional Service Act will extend an inmate’s right to consult with a medical practitioner of their choice at their own expense. In tandem with the Constitution, the legislation affords inmates access to their lawyers before and during their trials,” she said.

Responding to questions from journalists, Minister Ziyambi said the Constitution enjoined the State to ensure that the best interest of a child is taken care of in any circumstances.

He said the Bill will obligate the State to explore all measures possible to ensure that the best interest of a child or those with special needs are observed.

He described the Bill as a huge improvement in the law.

“In the new Bill we are creating several prison community centres that are more like open prison and we are targeting to have certain categories like pregnant women and those with infants so we are coming with several ways to decongest prison mechanisms that will cater for those who are vulnerable so that they are comfortable,” said Minister Ziyambi.

Responding to another question, Minister Ziyambi said the Bill did not afford prisoners the right to vote given that once one is incarcerated there are certain rights and privileges he or she is bound to lose.

Regarding the Witness Protection Bill, Minister Mutsvangwa said the proposed law seeks to fill the gap in the law by establishing legislation to provide for witness protection in the country whose responsibility has now been taken by the police.

“Cabinet reports that the purpose of the Bill is to provide for the establishment of an Office that caters for the protection and placement of witnesses under temporary, interim and permanent protection.  The Bill seeks to regulate the powers, functions and duties of the Office.  Furthermore, the Bill will establish the necessary procedures and measures on how witnesses are put into the witness protection programme,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.