By BRIAN HATYOKA –

CONGESTION is one of the main challenges that have continued to affect prisons in many countries including Zambia.
Other challenges in prisons include poor diet, degrading clothing and a general poor environment for inmates.
Livingstone Central Prison is one of the prisons in Zambia which is faced with congestion.
According to Livingstone Central Prison assistant superintendent and deputy officer-in-charge Ivor Musumali, the prison currently has 754 inmates instead of the establishment capacity of 250.
This means that Livingstone Central Prison has an excess of 504 inmates going by the statistics.
On June 15 this year, Home Affairs Deputy Minister Panji Kaunda visited Livingstone Central Prison where he got these statistics.
Mr Musumali told Col Kaunda that the prison cells were congested, as the capacity was outstripped by the number of inmates.
He however said the current construction of a female cell, which was almost complete, would help to decongest the cells.
“We are also constructing a mini-Hospital, which is nearing completion, to improve the health of inmates.
“In terms of other challenges, we have inadequate transport, lack of uniforms for inmates, old and inadequate housing units and slow rate to dispose cases at the courts among others,” Mr Musumali said.
A male prisoner Davy Kaunda, who has spent his life in the same prison for 15 years, told Col Kaunda that the best way to address congestion in prisons was to release more terminally ill inmates from prisons.
He asked Col Kaunda to help address the challenges affecting prisoners as apologising on the current status of prisons was not enough.
“The Government is saying the solution to congestion in prisons is to build more facilities. This is not a good solution.
“The best solution is to release terminally sick people and also release those who have acquired skills in prisons so that they go out and use their acquired skills,” said Kaunda, as his fellow inmates agreed by clapping.
Mr Kaunda also wondered why Members of Parliament (MPs), former Ministers and other high profile persons were quickly released after being jailed.
“These MPs, former Ministers and other high profile persons are failing to cope with their stay in prison due to inhabitable conditions and since they are wealthy, they easily get bails and leave the prisons.
“What are they running away from which they failed to correct when they were in power? We are still slaves in our own country regardless of the crime we committed and we are asking that you look into our plight,” Mr Kaunda said.
He also noted that former prisoners were being discriminated against in society after being released, while the slow court proceedings also contributed to congestion.
Another prisoner, Chris Siantwala asked Government to start counting the days and nights as separate days that prisoners spent to reduce on congestion.
“In other countries in Africa, we hear that they count day and night as two days but here it is just one day and hence congestion is increasing.
“Somehow, the Government is contributing to congestion by insisting on day and night as one day. Let’s also start counting day and night as two days like in other countries to decongest the prisons,” Mr Siantwala said.
In response to the concerns raised, Col Kaunda said the Zambian Government had a programme of building new prison facilities across the country to mitigate the problem of congestion.
“These cells will be built by yourselves (prisoners) using your acquired skills so that you live in the new facilities comfortably.
“We believe that we will alleviate the problems of congestion in prisons by building more facilities,” he said.
Col Kaunda, who also toured police, as well as Immigration and National Registration office facilities in Livingstone, apologised on behalf of the Government on the current poor conditions in prisons.
He also noted that the previous Government did not do a lot to improve the facilities in the country’ prisons.
“On behalf of the Government, we apologise on the conditions of prisons today.
You will soon be living in better places and become better persons by the time you leave this place.
“The Patriotic Front (PF) Government is determined to change the conditions of prisons including the way prison officers live.
Be patient with us and things will change. Bear with us for the time being and things will be different soon,” he said.
He noted that most prisons in Zambia fell short of what they are supposed to be looking like.
“There is no way you can say you will be better citizens if you continue living the way you have been living in prison.
“Before the end of this year, I will come here in Livingstone to commission the cells, while your diet will also change. It is not a gimmick to please you but a serious matter,” he said.
Col Kaunda said President Edgar Lungu’s Government wanted to transform the prisons in Zambia into habitable places for inmates.
According to Col Kaunda, it was the wish of President Lungu to transform the prisons into better places.
“President Lungu visited Livingstone Central Prison when he was Home Affairs Minister because he was interested in improving your conditions.
“The President is a lawyer and he understands the law very well.
The amnesty you are asking has its own conditions and it is not a tool for decongesting prisons,” he said.
Col Kaunda said the issue of delayed cases at courts was understandable and that the Ministry of Justice was looking to have more judges and magistrates to ensure the speedy delivery of justice in the country.
He said the prisons won’t be reformed overnight but the Government would surely do something to reform them.
Col Kaunda said prisons were no longer places of punishment but corrective Schools or Colleges aimed at reforming the inmates into better citizens.
Addressing female prisoners at the same prison, Col Kaunda said the prison was not meant to discard people.
“Jail is now a school. From here, you must come out with an appropriate life skill. If you did not know how to cook, you will be taught how to cook.
“I have seen the cells are not enough and toilets are not okay. The prisons department is making a better cell and you will relocate by the end of this month,” he said.
With the Government’s resolve to build new prison facilities in addition to the the recruitment of more judges and magistrates, the problem of congestion in prisons will soon be a thing of the past.