Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
NEARLY 26 000 people, including sentenced and unsentenced inmates, are detained in prisons across the country at the end of the second quarter of 2026.
This was revealed in the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat)’s Prison Admissions and Discharges Statistics Report for the second quarter of 2026.
According to the report, the prison population increased from 24 072 at the end of the first quarter to 25 990 by the end of the second quarter.
The male prison population rose from 23 250 to 25 057 during the period, while the number of female inmates increased from 822 to 933.
“Out of the 25 990 persons who were in prison, 22 008 (84,7 percent) were sentenced and 3 982 (15,3 percent) were unsentenced. The proportion of unsentenced male and female prisoners was 15,1 percent and 22 percent respectively,” reads the report.
“During the second quarter of 2026, the sentenced prisoner population increased from 19 569 at the end of the second quarter to 22 008. During the same period, the unsentenced prisoner population also rose, from 4 503 to 3 982.”
The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) operates a total of 51 main prisons and 29 satellite prisons across the country.
Midlands Province has the highest number of main prisons, with eight, followed by Mashonaland East with seven, while Manicaland and Harare each have six.
In contrast, Mashonaland Central, Matabeleland South, and Masvingo have the lowest number of main prisons, with three each.
The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) director general Mrs Tafadzwa Bandama said this report provides statistics on the number of persons who were in prison, new admissions and those who were discharged from the country’s prison facilities during the second quarter of 2026.
“The information on new prisoners includes demographic characteristics, sentence status and offences characteristics,” she said.
“It further discusses the number and reasons for discharge of prisoners that were discharged from the prison facilities. Prison statistics help to inform policy development and planning in the Criminal Justice System.
“The statistics are also used for reporting on the United Nations Crime Trends Survey (UNCTS) and monitoring of Sustainable Development Goal 16.3.2. The offences are aggregated according to the United Nations International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes (ICCS).
“The information contained in this publication is based on data provided by the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS). I would like to take this opportunity to extend my appreciation to our technical partner, the ZPCS for the provision of data.”
