By JULIUS PHIRI? –
Eastern Province prisons commander Paul Mwizabi Simasiku has said the release of prisoners who were pardoned by President Michael Sata will help decongest the correctional facilities in the province.
Last week, President Michael Sata pardoned 975 inmates to mark Zambia’s independence Golden Jubilee.
This is in exercising the powers vested in him by Article 59 of the Constitution of Zambia which empowers the Republican President to exercise the prerogative of mercy.
Out of the 975 prisoners pardoned, a total of 136 were released from different jails in Eastern Province which cheered Mr Simasiku.
However, only one female prisoner is among the 136 prisoners released through the presidential pardon in Eastern Province.?Superintendent Simasiku said the female inmate who has been released was from Namuseche Prison in Chipata.
Mr Simasiku said 61 inmates were released from Chipata Prison, while 31 were pardoned from Petauke.
Katete had 19 inmates released on parole, while Lundazi had 14 with Nyimba releasing12 inmates.
He bemoaned the congestion at most prisons in the province especially at Namuseche Prisons where the population of inmates has more than doubled.
‘‘Namuseche Prisons was designed to hold 400 inmates but currently has 831 prisoners,’’ he said.
The prisons department has rehabilitated one cell to help reduce on the congestion at Namuseche and would send other inmates to Mulanga and Chadiza Open air Prisons.
He also assured that the prison has sufficient stocks of food to feed the inmates for the whole year.