Chronicle Editor
Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) intends to set up open prisons in the country’s remaining eight provinces.
So far, the country has two open prisons: Connemara Male Open Prison in the Midlands province and Marondera Female Open Prison in Mashonaland East.
Under the open prison concept, inmates are allowed to go home and spend some time with their family members and relatives as part of their rehabilitation.
Following the approval by Cabinet in 1996 for Zimbabwe to adopt an open prison system, Connemara Male Open Prison was established as a pilot project, with the first inmates taking occupation in 2000.
Based on the success stories experienced at Connemara towards offender rehabilitation and reintegration, considerations were thus made to establish similar institution for female inmates, Marondera Female Open Prison.
The First Lady and Patron of the Zimbabwe Female Open Prison Trust, Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa officially opened Marondera Female Open Prison in June last year. The facility became the first of its kind not only in Zimbabwe but Africa as a whole.
Inmates at the two open prisons have the liberty to put on their own clothing, prepare their own food and pursue academic and professional education. They are also given time to visit their families through a home leave facility.
In an interview, ZPCS Commissioner-General Moses Chihobvu said setting up open prisons is in line with the correctional service thrust that caters for a correctional approach as opposed to the punitive way in terms of handling inmates.
“To try and complement the non-custodial options, we are planning to set up open prisons in each of the 10 provinces in the country.
Since Independence, ZPCS has transformed a lot from being closed prisons to correctional facilities and we are now allowing our inmates to have visitors at any given time,” he said.
“We have two open prisons, one in Marondera for female and the other one at Connemara.” Comm-Gen Chihobvu said open prisons are also key in the rehabilitation programme that prepares inmates for successful integration back into society.
“The open prison concept also comes with many advantages which include the opportunity to go on home leave thereby allowing beneficiaries to interact with famiy members. This also helps correct misconceptions that are normally associated with being imprisoned,” he said.
The Open Prison System seeks to move prisoners from the closed prisons with the emphasis on rehabilitation, counselling and re-integration.
Prisoners who benefit from the Open Prison System are selected by a well-constituted selection board and enjoy additional privileges, which are not enjoyed by those at closed prisons such as free movement, late lock-up, watching television, access to telephone and less supervision during work.
Inmates are also allowed to visit their families if they apply and authority granted and are given an opportunity to attend lessons at colleges within the vicinity of the open prison.
Comm-Gen Chihobvu said ZPCS continues to pursue prison management best practices that meet the United Nations minimum standard rules on the treatment of inmates.- @mashnets.
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