adminRobin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Service (ZPCS) has expressed the need for inmates` visitation as it is not only expression of love and forgiveness but a great motivator that keeps those behind bars out of trouble and gives them something to look forward to particularly during the festive season.
This was said by the acting public relations officer for ZPCS, Superintendent Priscilla Mthembo.
“Demystification of the essence of incarceration becomes essential especially when approaching the festive season where everyone is merry making and holding various celebrations. Regular contacts with the outside world also help maintain family and community relations and go a long way in reconstructing inmates’ behaviour in the correctional facilities as well upon release,” she said.
She continued, “As we move towards the festive season, let us therefore remember those behind bars and help them reform, adapt well to rehabilitation programmes and look forward to fully utilising another chance that would have been accorded to them by us as members of society.”
Supt Mthembo said ZPCS had a vital obligation to protect society from criminal elements through ensuring that offenders were safely and humanely increased in preparation for release after imprisonment.
The essential role, she said, was done through bankrolling effective and efficient rehabilitation programmes meant to equip offenders with life survival skills so that they reunite with the society as morally, physically and psychologically upright citizens.
Supt Mthembo said the global trends of incarceration place an emphasis on an all stakeholder involvement in both rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for them to be a success.
“Offenders usually face difficulties especially during the transition from correctional facilities to the outside world which offer structural offender rehabilitation programmes that include social and psychological rehabilitation, skills training, arts and recreational programmes to ensure inmates are fully prepared for release,” she added.
Supt Mthembo said isolating correctional facilities from the surrounding communities compromises both offender rehabilitation and reintegration and renders the whole essence of incarceration inherently useless. ZPCS, however, challenges society to intervene in all its programmes for the betterment of offenders’ welfare.
Apart from the adult population found within prisons a number of children find themselves behind bars due to offences committed by their mothers.
Supt Mthembo said ZPCS and society have a role to play in ensuring that those vulnerable children`s rights are observed despite being in prison with their mothers.
The rights include growing up in an enabling environment to their minds.
Supt Mthembo said the expectations of getting spoiled were certainly never lost to children despite the environment they were in. The expectations, she said, could only be filled through providing foodstuffs, toys and celebrating with the young ones accompanying their mothers in prison by members of society.
She said ZPCS will forever endeavour to bring its operations closer to the people through adopting and maintaining an open door policy which allows easy access to prison by various stakeholders.
During Christmas and New Year holidays people are allowed to visit inmates and give them food items in all the country’s prisons.
Recommended food items that can be received include tinned or bottled food stuffs.
Online Reporter