AFRICA/MALAWI - Towards a more "human" prison system

Wednesday, 25 February 2015

Lilongwe (Agenzia Fides) - "Definitely something is changing in the prison system in Malawi" says Fr. Piergiorgio Gamba, Monfortan missionary, commenting on the President's speech to the 731 new prison guards at the end of their training course. "Today you receive the mandate not to punish, but to rehabilitate and reform prisoners who can be of help to the socioeconomic development of the Country", said the President.
"Things are changing, not only because the President himself experienced a few days in jail where overcrowding is more than the maximum allowed" says Fr. Gamba. "The new prison rules are geared to the recovery of those who have transgressed the law", explained the missionary. "They include: recovery programs regarding the convicted, transforming him into a useful citizen to the Country; construction of new prisons and refurbishment of existing cells; the introduction of Community Services, that is to say, complete the sentence by carrying out a service to the community".
"Not everything will change immediately" adds Fr. Gamba. "The guards earn less than half of what a policeman earns, often forcing them to steal from the prisoners. But there is the desire to work on a more human prison system". (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 25/02/2015)


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