security

Prisons tighten security By ANANIYA ALICK PONJE Due to reported rampant cases of prisoners escaping from different prisons in Malawi, the Malawi Prison Service is doing its utmost to strengthen on security so as to curb the problem. It has been reported many times about prisoners escaping from prisons across Malawi, an act which has been blamed on lack of security in the correctional facilities. In an interview last Sunday, 12 July, Zomba Maximum Prison Public Relations Officer Inspector Evance Sambe Phiri said the escape of prisoners from prisons can be attributed to lack of adequate security due to understaffing, in part. He also added that some inmates, especially those who have been sentenced to life do not care about what will happen to them and they do not fear anything, hence attempting to escape. “The fact of the matter is that freedom in prisons is never complete. These people are separated from the outer world and sometimes this affects them psychologically. Some of them are those who have been given life sentences while others think about their families and their wealth. So the fear of what will happen to them when caught does not exist in them,” said Phiri. He added: “But now we are tightening security. The Prison Service has embarked on a mission of training more security personnel so that the issue of prisoners escaping from prisons becomes news of the past.” Asked to comment on reports that some security officers are the ones who aid the escape of prisoners after receiving bribes from relatives of the prisoners, the PRO said that although this may be true, it is against the ethical codes of conduct of prison security officers. “Yes, this may be true, but all security officers at prisons are required to comply with Prison Service codes of conduct which vehemently condemn aiding prisoners to escape,” he said. He added that the whole prison service works around the clock to apprehend the escapees. “It does not necessarily mean that after a prisoner or prisoners escape, everything ends there; we work hard in collaboration to apprehend them. For example, many prisoners who escaped from different prisons have been apprehended.” On allegations that sometimes it is the hard conditions in prison which compel the inmates to think of escaping, Phiri said prisons in Malawi have been reformed and that the Prison Reform is against harsh treatment of inmates. “Prisons are now ‘real’ reformatory centres where the general human rights are strictly upheld. Human rights organizations visit prisons to enlighten on the rights of the inmates,” he said. Inspector Phiri also said since prisons are now regarded as ‘real’ reformatory centres, most inmates do very well in their lives when they get out of prison. He said there are examples of inmates in Zomba who have used the experience acquired in prison to open carpentries and farms. According to the PRO, one thing that hinders the total application of the notion of Prison Reform is that the Prison Service still uses the old Act which was implemented a long time ago. He, however, reiterated that a bill was sent to Parliament for approval so that the new Prison Reform is fully and formally implemented. (I had an opportunity of interviewing the PRO during our visit Zomba maximus prison as Chanco CCAPSO. I have included this statement to authenticate my story.)