News / National
Zimbabwe spending $1.7 million per month on prisoners
01 Sep 2011 at 05:44hrs | Views
The government is spending $1.7 million per month feeding prisoners due to overpopulation, Zimbabwe's Herald Online reported on Thursday.
Prison authorities said this was partly as a result of people arrested for petty cases being remanded in custody.
There were some 14 000 inmates in 68 prisons countrywide and majority of them were on remand.
Speaking at a one-day workshop on ways to reduce overcrowding in prisons on Wednesday, acting officer commanding Zimbabwe Prison Services' (ZPS) Matabeleland Region, Assistant Commissioner Claydon Seulah, said the number of suspects on remand had increased and was straining the budget.
He also attributed the overcrowding to delays by the courts in finalising cases.
Seulah said delayed justice was negatively impacting on the ZPS, which was mandated to feed, clothe and provide medical services for prisoners. Suspects on remand were not engaged in any productive work.
"The impact on the fiscus is considerably higher in that taxpayers' money is now benefiting remand prisoners and depriving the intended beneficiaries, who are the serving inmates," he said.
Prison authorities said this was partly as a result of people arrested for petty cases being remanded in custody.
There were some 14 000 inmates in 68 prisons countrywide and majority of them were on remand.
Speaking at a one-day workshop on ways to reduce overcrowding in prisons on Wednesday, acting officer commanding Zimbabwe Prison Services' (ZPS) Matabeleland Region, Assistant Commissioner Claydon Seulah, said the number of suspects on remand had increased and was straining the budget.
He also attributed the overcrowding to delays by the courts in finalising cases.
Seulah said delayed justice was negatively impacting on the ZPS, which was mandated to feed, clothe and provide medical services for prisoners. Suspects on remand were not engaged in any productive work.
"The impact on the fiscus is considerably higher in that taxpayers' money is now benefiting remand prisoners and depriving the intended beneficiaries, who are the serving inmates," he said.
Source - Sapa
