Prison chiefs call for alternative means of punishment

There is need for alternative methods of punishing criminals other than imprisonment so as to decongest African prisons, participants at the 2nd Biennial Africa Correctional Services Association (ACSA) Conference said yesterday.The issue of congestion took centre stage in the deliberations of the prisons chiefs which ended yesterday in the Ugandan capital, Kampala.“ACSA members shall strive to stir a campaign within the criminal justice system to embrace the use of alternatives to imprisonment,” they said in a release issued at the end of the meeting.Information indicates that the standard measurement of the space prisoners should use in cells is 5.4 square meters although many prisons in Africa have a space of 2.4 square meters.“Some of us haven’t started using this system while other ACSA member states have gone a long way in effecting it. It is important that we emulate them,” Kofi Bansah, the Director General of Ghana Prisons Services told The New Times.The Commissioner General of Uganda Prisons, Dr. Johnson Byabashaija, pointed out that correctional systems cannot overcome serious challenges such as overcrowding without involving all stakeholders, and the society in general.The Prison chiefs committed to engage in discussions with key players in the criminal justice system to determine what life sentences mean as a best practice. As a means of improving the standards of prisons, the prison chiefs said they would explore the possibility of engaging in public private partnerships for infrastructure development.“We have identified officials in this meeting whom we shall invite to Rwanda to help us more in training and capacity building, said Maj. Gen. Paul Rwarakabije, the Commissioner General of Rwanda Correctional Services (RCS).He said that the number of inmates had reduced from 100,000 in the past to 50,000 inmates. He added there are ongoing efforts to ensure a reduction of 1,000 inmates every three months.ACSA strives to take centre stage and make a profound contribution to the drive to mainstream corrections and advance penal reform in Africa, while responding to the needs and expectations of the community.The Conference was held under the theme; “Enhancing Community - Responsive Correctional Service Delivery in Africa”.

National

Prison chiefs call for alternative means of punishment