Justice Minister Given Lubinda has reaffirmed government’s commitment to reduce the number of people incarcerated in correctional facilities in the country.
Mr. Lubinda notes that overcrowding is one of the biggest challenges the Correctional services is facing as a result of inter alia, delays in confirmation of sentences by the High Court and listing of appeal cases, long remand periods due to delays in case flow within the justice system and low number of inmates granted parole.
He says an avenue to address this is to reduce custodial sentences by making provision for community service sentences for those convicted of misdemeanors.
Speaking he received the Zambia Law Development Commission report and recommendations on the review of prisons Act and allied legislation, Mr. Lubinda says government is working towards the attainment of an operational correctional system in its true form.
Mr. Lubinda says government will take all necessary measures to support the efforts of the Zambia Law Development Commission and the Zambia Correctional Service in this reform process.
And Zambia Law Development Commission Chairperson Justice Roydah Kaoma says there is need to promote effective and sustainable prison reforms in Zambia which are in compliance with international and regional human rights standards and good governance.
Justice Kaoma has further recommended the need to review the prisons Act and allied legislation so as to respond to the needs of vulnerable groups such as circumstantial children, juveniles, the special needs of women and elderly inmates and persons with disabilities.
Speaking earlier, the European Union Ambassador to Zambia Alessandro Mariani said the handover of the review of prisons Act and allied Legislative by ZLDC is another important step in the Zambian path towards prison reform and protection of prisoners’ rights.
Meanwhile United Nations Development Programme Country Director Mandisa Mashalogu has reiterated the UN’s commitment to continue supporting the government in domesticating international standards in the administration of correctional services.
Need more space toward 2021 to cage corruption convicts.
This sounds great on paper. I hope the reforms are realized as have been protected in this report. It’s not just a matter of reducing the population. The reforms must translate into post prison programs for the inmates that are released. In the other side, building bigger prisons is also a long term solution.
Release all those with minor casesof jail terms
Dagga smokers
Fighters
Drinking and driving
Contempt of courts
Manslaughter s
Petty thieves
Criminal traspasers
Impersonates
Found in possession of government trophy s like wild animals etc
Release them all then we will know you commited to what you saying other drawing a salary out of such meetings
Uphold the 48hour rule: No suspect should be detained for more 48 hours. They should be taken to court within 48 hours or be relreleased. Only the courts should decide the detention of an accused person beyond 48 hours.
This is quite encouraging, Zambia needs correctional services to rehabilitate prisoners, and not places for killing people. We heard that Zambians prisons are a death trap and places where gross crimes against humanity have been inflicted on inmates, including innocent ones.
My worry is now the abuse of the court process. We need the justice Minister to spearhead the strategy to stop crooked lawyers from manufacturing vexatious suits as methods of inflicting gender violence on Succesful women. ZIALE and LAZ must revoke the legal professions of 10 of its lawyers who targeted me with fraud and deception and manufactured vexatious suits as methods of stealing from me. The justice system is for bonafide use, and not stealing from the UN. I didn’t go to the UN for the benefit of those who…