By Martin Muleya.
Mutare, Zimbabwe. (News of The South) – Mutare Remand prison has slowly become a permanent home for convicted criminals yet it is meant for inmates waiting trial at the Mutare magistrate courts.
Addressing journalists during a media tour that was organised by Mutare Press Club at Mutare Remand Prison last Friday, Officer-In-Charge Superintendent Maplan Kakoto said that the prison is supposed to cater for inmates awaiting trial but due to logistical problems this is no longer possible as the institution now houses even convicted offenders.
“Mutare Remand Prison is meant to cater for inmates waiting for trial at the Mutare magistrate courts but because of logistical problems and that our prisons are getting full every now and then, we are no longer able to keep only inmates placed on remand but also the convicted criminals.
“Mutare Remand according to international standards it is supposed to hold 175 inmates with an inmate occupying 1.8 metres. As we talking right now our population of inmates is 493 which means we are overcrowded by 318 inmates.
“Though before we revert back to the international standards regulations we used to have a holding capacity of 370 inmates but because when we were given the new standards regulations nothing has been done so far to improve the existing infrastructure. We are forced to use the two mechanisms but still the prison is overpopulated. Majority of the inmates we have here, are 380 convicted while those on remand are 89 inmates.
“So under normal circumstances those who would have been tried and convicted were supposed to be sent to other prisons but even those prisons also they are full. We do not have special facilities to make sure that we separate those placed on remand and those who would have already been convicted but nonetheless we are doing our pitiable best, said Supt Kakoto.
He said despite the prison being overpopulated they were trying as much as much as a station they are trying to maintain the human rights standards required for inmates incarcerated and adopting rehabilitation programmes on their curriculum.
Supt Kakoto further highlighted that part of their rehabilitation programmes that has seen inmates working at reputable companies in Mutare like Border Timbers while still serving their sentence so they get allowances and fend for their families while still under incarceration.
“As part of our rehabilitation programmes we are making sure that our inmates do not just lie idle with no life skills that can generate an income for them. We want them to have skills and on those jobs they are working, they are getting allowances. They have families that visit them thus they can still fend for their families while under incarceration,” he said.
Apart from the accommodation challenge, the correctional institution has had to contend to water rationing from the local authority just like all the residential suburbs dotted in the city. Under those circumstances we resort to the borehole but our borehole also does watering of our vegetables that inmates consume as relish during supper times.
“Water rationing by the local authority has hampered us as we also need to water our vegetables using water from the borehole, thus we are overworking our borehole. So in that regard we are appealing to well-wishers to secure water tanks for us. Despite a plethora of these challenges we are doing our best to maintain a healthy environment in our prisons,” added Supt Kakoto.
Despite Mutare Remand Prison having a staff compliment of 179 prison officers they have many duties that they undertake on a daily basis. It is the same prison that houses inmates from Mutare High Court circuit, Nyanga and Mutasa magistrate courts. Odzi periodical court also sends those placed on remand as well as the convicted offenders again to Mutare Remand Prison.
A female inmate who spoke on condition of anonymity reiterated that the prison officers were making their stay in the holding cells more comfortable as they were learning life skills while serving their sentence.
“We are learning a lot while being on incarceration and through God’s grace we will go outside and start our own businesses. I am a single mother of four children and with the life skills I have learnt while on incarceration it will help me look out for my children without depending on any man,” she noted.
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