HARARE – Overcrowding in Zimbabwe’s prisons has reached alarming levels, with some correctional facilities operating at up to 300 percent capacity, a parliamentary committee has revealed.
The joint portfolio committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and the thematic committee on Human Rights said after touring several prisons that most facilities are operating far beyond their designed capacity.
In its report on the state of prisons, the committee said congestion levels ranged between 200 and 300 percent, making overcrowding “one of the most critical and persistent challenges” facing the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS).
The committee noted that Gwanda Prison was holding 210 inmates against a capacity of just 60, representing 350 percent overcrowding, while Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison had 2,689 inmates in facilities designed for 1,114.
Binga Prison held 78 inmates despite a capacity of 45, and Harare Remand Prison was overcrowded by more than 50 percent, with 1,361 inmates in a space meant for 900.
Other affected prisons include Bindura, with 443 inmates against a capacity of 393, and Marondera, holding 730 inmates in cells designed for 358.
The committee said the situation has serious human rights and health implications, including inmates sleeping in cramped, poorly ventilated and leaking cells, overburdened sanitation systems, insufficient bedding, and limited access to healthcare, all of which increase the risk of disease outbreaks.
“While open prisons like Conemara and Marondera Female Open Prison offer slightly better conditions due to lower populations and progressive models, these facilities represent exceptions rather than the norm,” the lawmakers said.
They also found widespread shortages of clothing and bedding, compromising inmates’ dignity and health, especially during winter.
“At some prisons visited, the committee found inmates wearing torn or worn-out clothes, with some relying on donations from relatives,” the report added. – ZimLive
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