CORRECTIONAL SERVICES TO INCREASE INMATES’ CAPACITY

By CHITE MTONGA THE Zambia Correctional Service (ZCS) will soon expand its prisons capacity by 3,300 inmates, says Commissioner-General Percy Chato.

Speaking to the Daily Nation in an interview Mr. Chato said that the Correctional Service was building two major prisons in Mwembeshi which would enhance the capacity of prisons by 3,300 inmates.

He said that the Correctional service was also expanding the female prisons in Livingstone and Milima prison in Kasama was also earmarked for expansion. .“We are currently working on two prisons in Mwembeshi. One is scheduled to finish in June next year and the other one would finish the following year. These two prisons will enable us to expand our capacity by 3,300 prisoners to help in decongesting our prisons. In Livingstone, the women’s prisons will be expanded such that it will even have a special needs section to cater for pregnant inmates and those with similar special cases,” Mr Chato said.

He also disclosed that the Correctional Service last week held a meeting with officials from the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to discuss modalities on voting rights for inmates.

He said the ECZ) was the body entrusted in handling elections and therefore the Correctional Service will continue to engage it on matters pertaining to the voting of inmates.

“We met with officials from ECZ and what was resolved is that we come up with a committee that will continue liaising with the it on matters to do with the voting of inmates. The members will come from different organisations so that it is well balanced and well represented. Right now, we have not yet reached a point where we can tell when exactly inmates will start voting but talks on modalities are still underway,” Mr Chato said.

Mr Chato said that Zambia was not the first country to allow inmates the right to vote and therefore the Correctional Service will still continue to learn from practices in other countries.

He said that the ZCS fully accepted the court judgement that gave inmates the right to vote and will ensure that inmates exercise their rights fully just like they respected any other human rights prisoners’ enjoyed.