adminLocadia Mavhudzi Midlands Correspondent
WHA WHA Medium Security Prison’s population has stabilised following the release of 415 inmates under the Presidential Amnesty last month. Wha Wha Prison Officer Superintendent Taison Manatsa said the prison, which was the biggest in the province, was no longer overcrowded.
“Our institution is no longer overcrowded after we released the 415 inmates under the Presidential Amnesty. We have a holding capacity of 1 344 prisoners and we are now at 1 015. This is a stable population,” said Supt Manatsa.
He said the amnesty came at an opportune time, as the jail was overcrowded.
“If we operate above our holding capacity, we face serious challenges. The demand for basic resources, especially food, rises, which constraints us,” said Supt Manatsa.
He urged members of the public to help the released inmates to reintegrate into society.
He added that failure to integrate released inmates into society was resulting in repeat offenders.
“It’s unfortunate that two of the pardoned inmates are back again in jail for theft. When we release inmates, we re-orient them to live a crime-free life.
“We believe these are spoiled eggs in the basket because we expect many to live a crime-free post-prison life,” he said.
He said the hands on skills they offer was a starting point for inmates to live an entrepreneurial life as they usually face challenges in getting jobs in the mainstream industry.
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