Milima inmates starve

—–Milima Prisons Officer-In Charge in Kasama, in Northern Province, David Phiri, has revealed that 485 prisoners at the prison take one meal per day due to the broken down kitchen equipment.

Mr Phiri said since the kitchen equipment broke down last year, preparation of meals for inmates has been difficult, forcing authorities to provide them with one meal in a day.

He has appealed to Government to urgently look into the plight of the prisoners who are supposed to have at least two meals per day.

Mr Phiri has also revealed that the water pumps, which supply water to the prison and the camp, are old and constantly break down and require replacement.

He lamented that with the erratic water supply the sewer system has also collapsed and requires repair.

Mr Phiri, however, said the morale of officers at the prison is high as almost all officers have been promoted to the next rank by the Prisons and Police Service Commission which visited the province in February, this year.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, Alfridah Kansembe, assured inmates at Milima Prison that Government is committed to protect their lives by providing them with food while serving their sentences.

Mrs Kansembe said the PF Government wishes all inmates to reform and become responsible citizens when they leave Prisons.

And in responding to in mates’ questions, Deputy Commissioner for Prisons, Lloyd Chilundika, said all inmates who have trades should continue with their trades in order to participate in national development.

Mr Chilundika said Government, with help of Citizen Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC), will provide loans to inmates who team up to form companies.

He said the loans will be paid back by individuals who commit themselves to the conditions once they left prisons.

Mr Chilundika urged the prison officers to change their attitude to work and promote food production for prisons to be self-sustaining.

He said prison officers should offer options of improving prisoners and steer them into producing their food and help even to feed the nation with surplus production.