Malawi Prison System
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The Malawi prison system, managed by the Malawi Prison Service, has 23 district prison stations, which are either first class or second class prisons.[1] Zomba Central Prison built in 1935 is the only maximum security prison in the country, holding prisoners with long sentences or serious offences. Severe overcrowding throughout the prison system provides a conducive environment for the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis.
The prison system dates back to colonial times when Malawi was divided in two regions; Southern Province (now Southern region) and Northern Province (now Central and Northern regions).[1] In the Southern Province were 9 jails and in the Northern 10.[1] The Prison Department employed fewer than 200 personnel distributed into several posts such as, superintendents and guards.[1]
The jails that were in the districts were for holding prisoners with short sentences. They were controlled by a District Commissioner with civil police as guards.[1] The Zomba Central Prison held people with much longer sentences and was under the control of the King's African Rifles. It held Europeans, Asiatics (or Coloureds) and Africans. Males and females were separate. The jail in Blantyre, which was under the charge of a superintendent held Europeans only.[1]
When Malawi gained independence in 1964 problems such as racial discrimination, torture, arbitrary arrests and forced labor were still rampant in the criminal justice system.[1] Under "Life President", Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda, political prisoners were held without trial and severely mistreated by prison guards.[2]
Modern structure of Prison Department
Since the onset of democratic government in 1994, the prison system in Malawi has changed. A Chief Commissioner of Prisons, who works under the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, heads the Malawi Prison Service. The system has its head office in Zomba and is divided into five divisions: Operations, Farms, Prison Clinic, Prison Training School and General Administration.[1]
Among the large prisons are:
- The old maximum security prison, Zomba Central Prison, built in 1935, which has six cell blocks: one for juvenile offenders, one for first offenders, two for recurrent offenders, one for women, and one for condemned prisoners.[3]
- Maula Prison built in the 1960s in the capital city of Lilongwe.[4]
- Chichiri Prison a large prison in the commercial city of Blantyre. (Date of opening unknown)