Rehabilitating Law Offenders in Malawi

THE GOM-EU RULE OF LAW PROGRAMME

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE RULE OF LAW PROGRAMME

  

  

Prison Acts and Regulations

The Malawi Prison Service developed a new Prison Act (currently in the form of a Bill), Prison Regulations and Prison Standing Orders which, as compared to the old Act, provide framework for a modern prison system that meets the requirements of international and African Legal Norms. It emphasizes on the respect of fundamental  human rights of Inmates. The development of the Prison Bill and the Regulations started in 2001 and was finalized in 2003.

The Bill provides guidelines on how the prison officers can balance safe custody with the human rights of the inmates, without compromising security nor acting inhumanely.

Although the new Act is still in Bill form, prison officers have already been introduced to the Bill.

  • For the Old Prison Act - Click HERE

  • New Prison Bill - Click HERE

Health Facilities

  • The Rule of Law programme first procured drugs and medical equipment for the Prison Hospital. This improved sanitary conditions in Malawi Prisons and also reduced mortality rate from the average of 0.08% to 0.013% per day (base 6000).

  • Twenty-nine Prison Officers underwent Patients Attendant Course and Chilema Nursing School and Malawi College for Health Sciences (in Zomba). These officers have since been deployed in all Prison Stations with dispensaries and are providing health services to both staff and inmates. This has really helped Malawi Prisons, particularly those stations in remote areas, in providing quick medical attention to the inmates.

  • Health Committees were established in all prison stations to oversee sanitary conditions of the prisons. However, the operations of these committees are very minimal.

  • Boreholes were sunk in many prison stations with not piped water. This enhanced access to clean water and hence improve health conditions.

Improvement of Managerial Practice

  • Under this theme, the programme carried out a number of initiatives including development of prison management system to monitor the operations of the of the department, procured a IT equipment (computers, photocopiers, etc. This helped to improve productivity in office operations and has enhanced communication.

  • About 14 prison officers were attached to South African Department of Correctional Service and Zimbabwe Prison Service to acquaint themselves on the styles of management of prisons in the modern age. These officers upon return wrote reports which are being used in policy formulation and and planning in order to achieve a full correctional service.

  • The Programme developed a Database Management System for offender management. Although the impact of this initiative is not yet realized, due to lack of appropriate infrastructure for implementation, it will help in ensuring safe and lawful custody of offenders, timely reporting, quick access to information, thereby enhancing management practices.

Enhance Civic Awareness

A number of activities were undertaken to improve Public image of the Prison Department through Civic Education and publication of brochures on the activities of the Deapertment.