There is mist on when the Correctional Services Bill, widely known as the Prisons Bill will be tabled in Parliament with Ministry of Justice failing to give clear indications.
The ministry’s non-committal response comes against a background of growing calls for the government to finalise the review of the Prisons Act of 1956to, among others, help decongest the country’s prisons.
In an interview yesterday, Ministry of Justice spokesperson Frank Namangale said the government has made “good progress” on the review of the Correctional Services Bill, as it is on the priority list.
He said: “There are a number of factors that contributed to the delay in tabling the Bill in previous sittings of Parliament, including having equally competing Bills we have had to prioritise. Once we are set, we will be taking it to Parliament to table it.”
On when Malawians should expect the Bill to be taken to Parliament, Namangale said “at the earliest given opportunity”.
A Malawi Prisons Service report released on Monday shows that since June 2020, President Lazarus Chakwera has cumulatively pardoned about 8 000 prisoners as one way to decongest the prisons.
But the service noted that the presidential pardons alone are not enough.
As of June 10 2024, the country’s 28 functioning prisons had about 16 700 inmates against a total holding capacity of 8 035, representing about 107 percent overcrowding rate.
The situation compelled the prisons service to make fresh calls for the Bill to be finalised and taken to Parliament as soon as possible for deliberation.
If the Bill passes, reforms such as parole and release on temporary licence will be introduced to help deserving prisoners be freed before completing their actual sentences.
The Bill also revives punishment through community service; a development which will see offenders of minor crimes serving their sentences out of prison while being productive.
In a separate interview, Ministry of Homeland Security Principal Secretary Steven Kayuni noted that prisons is a crucial element of law enforcement.
He expressed optimism that the Correctional Services Bill will be taken to Parliament in the next session of deliberations.
Said Kayuni: “New legislation namely the Prison Bill that’s being prioritised by government in the coming session of Parliament will change the whole landscape of penal reform and correction service management.
“Rehabilitation, decongestion, psychosocial support and other correction services will be refreshing. We are getting set for the leap.”
For almost 21 years, government has been reviewing the Correctional Services Bill drafted in 2003.
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