The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has appealed to President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika to issue executive orders aimed at improving welfare and conditions in Malawi’s correctional facilities.
In a letter signed by CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa, the organisation has urged the President to build on his recent 12-month pardon for prisoners by addressing three key welfare concerns affecting inmates and junior prison officers.
CDEDI is calling for the introduction of duty pay for junior prison officers to reduce the risk of extortion, subsidies for basic necessities for inmates, and improved healthcare services in correctional facilities.
The organisation said prisons should focus on rehabilitation and reform rather than punishment, arguing that inmates deserve humane treatment and access to essential services.
CDEDI cited the philosophy of former South African President Nelson Mandela on the treatment of vulnerable people, stressing that the manner in which a country treats those in its custody reflects its commitment to human dignity and justice.
The organisation also expressed appreciation on behalf of inmates for Mutharika’s recent 12-month pardon, saying the move has helped ease congestion in prisons across the country.
Namiwa, who recently spent several weeks at Maula Prison following treason charges, has firsthand experience of the conditions inside the correctional facility.
CDEDI said addressing the welfare of inmates and prison officers would help strengthen rehabilitation efforts and improve the overall management of Malawi’s correctional system.
