By Martin Muleya.
Mutare, Zimbabwe. (News Of The South) – A call has been made for high school and tertiary students to get first -hand information on the living conditions of inmates at the prisons.
The call was made by Mutare Teachers College Students Representative Council (SRC) during a tour at Mutare Remand Prisons on the sidelines of donation of goods worth $893and various sanitary wear to inmates.
In an interview with News Of The South at Mutare Teachers’ College students at Mutare Remand Prison on Friday, Rejoice Makaya a first year student expressed displeasure on the living condition at this correctional institution.
The Geography and Commerce student highlighted that it was imperative for the powers that be at Mutare Remand Prison to extend their invites to high school and tertiary college students as they are prone to committing crime these days.
Makaya is of the conviction that by touring correctional institutions there will be a reduction of crimes associated with youngsters by 60 percent.
“Seeing the living conditions and everything here (at Mutare Remand Prison) is not pleasing at all. The cells they sleep and the blankets they use are not comfortable at all. Basically there should extend invite to students from various schools and colleges capable of committing crime to have an insight of what transpires here.
“I believe through this initiative 60percent or more would-be offenders will definitely think twice with regards to committing crime,” claimed Makaya.
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She noted that while she acknowledged that prison conditions should not be equated to a ‘hotel’, and that the nation is financially distressed, resulting in the correctional institution extending the begging bowl to the community every day, it was high time ZPCS should consider extending this invitation to youngsters.
Makaya reiterated that by doing so that they would be inculcating in their minds a curriculum to deter from attempting to commit crime.
Beulah Mushonga also concurred with Makaya’s sentiments adding that currently Treasury is incapacitated to expand nor build more prisons in the country thus by extending such invites to students its another option of curbing crime since currently Mutare Remand prison is overcrowded.
“School children should be tour prisons as well. As they see the living conditions am sure they will not dare commit crime at a rapid rate like as of today.
Further to that with the current situation in our country where government is incapacitated to build nor expand more prisons, the exposure they will get from the tour will assimilate in their minds not to commit crime,” claimed Mushonga.
Speaking at the same occasion Mutare Remand Prison Officer-In-Charge, Superintendent Maplan Kakoto extended his gratitude for the visit by the tertiary college.
He highlighted that the visit by MTC came at a time when the prison system is trying very hard to live up to its new act of being rehabilitative institution rather than being a punitive one.
“Your visit comes at a time when the prison system is trying very hard to live up to its new act of being rehabilitative institution rather than being a punitive one as espoused in the aspect of the correctional part of the offender,” noted Supt Kakoto.
Mutare Remand Prison appears to be the oldest prison in the city built in 1910 has 446 inmates, 29 of them being females.
The correctional and rehabilitation institution is now in dilapidated state with most of its infrastructure yawning for a facelift.
The fireplace needs refurbishment nad the electrical pots are not working to full capacity as they need new thermostats.
As if that is not enough, there is a serious shortage of prison garbs both for the convicted and unconvicted prisoners.
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