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Precious Manomano
Herald Reporter
Prisoners held in the open prisons will now be given five days of home leave each month as a result of a new policy by Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS).
The programme is intended to give these prisoners an opportunity to interact with their families and give them a chance to bring back lost love and plan their future together.
Open prison is a concept of a half way home, and for inmates to qualify for this privilege they have to go through a thorough interview and a review of why they are in jail and how they have behaved if they have been in other prisons.
In an interview, Connemara Open Prison Chief Correctional Officer Mr Gwauya Mutuke said prisoners can be with their families without supervision.
In prison, no weapons are used to control them. “Prisoners move independently and each inmate can source and cook his own food in his room and secures his room with his own keys.
“There is also free movement without escort and (they) can leave prison in the morning and come back in the evening. They do not put on prison uniforms, they use their own clothes. They go to their families every month for five days without any supervision,”said Mr Mutuke.
Connemara is only the open prison in Zimbabwe and only 80 selected prisoners were given the opportunity to enjoy the privileges after going a thorough selection interview. Prisoners were selected from all provinces and behaviour of inmates was also considered.
Mr Mutuke also said those with petty or non-violent crimes such as shoplifting and fraud were considered. When serious crimes of assault were concerned, such as rape and murder, only prisoners over 60 years of age could be considered but had to have been in a normal prison before.
Prisoners have the privilege to bring other accessories such as refrigerators to accommodate their personal foods ,except for alcoholic products.
There is a wardrobe, a bed, a table, a chair and a trunk in each room and a television set in a dinning room.
Mr Mutuke said prisoners are given the opportunity to study and are enrolled at tertiary institutions.
“We have highly-qualified personal here to provide skills thus contributing to the gross domestic products of the country as well as maintenance of peace”, he said.
Prisoners who break the rules are sent back to where they were before as a deterrent measure. There were no conjugal rights in prison and inmates had to use their own funds to visit their families.
Mr Mutuke also said every Christmas and New Year’s holidays, prisoners are released to join their family members from 22 December to 2 January.
Prisoners who were given the chance to join open prison have welcomed the initiative saying it gives them opportunity to reunite with their family members.
Former principal director of State Residences Douglas Tapfuma who was convicted of abuse of office said there is a need to show responsibility and trust worthy as well as integrating with family members and plan the future.
“The process of integrating is critical. We are thankful for this initiative which allows us to integrate with our beloved ones in order to plan for the future but we have to be trusted and have a sense of responsibility,” said Tapfuma.
Under the open prison system, the emphasis is on rehabilitation, counselling and re-integration.
Online Reporter