Govt To Amend Prisons Act In Line With International Laws

The Minister for Information and Publicity Minister Monica Mutsvangwa on Tuesday said that the government is moving to amend the Prisons Act in order to be in sync with the national constitution and international best practice. Said Mutsvangwa:

More particularly the proposed legislation seeks to achieve inter alia, modernising the prison legislation with the view that it goes with international laws and standards on the administration of prisons and treatment of prisoners.

To provide a prison system that caters for the needs and provides to vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, juveniles offenders as well as the disabled and other special categories of the society with the special needs.

Broadening the scope of the parole system so as to accommodate all categories of prisoners and also seeks to promote community involvement in prisoners and correctional services in order to ensure that prisoners do not face difficulties and hostilities upon re-integration in the society.

Mutsvangwa revealed that the changes seek to:

… establish correctional community centres throughout the country and it enables prisoners to consult with a medical practitioner of their own choice at their own expense.

Mutsvangwa was speaking during a post-cabinet media briefing in Harare Tuesday afternoon.