Prison Act unfair for female prisoners – Activist

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Nchelenge State Prison
Nchelenge State Prison
Human rights activist Philemon Phiri has observed that the current Prison Act is an unfair law especially for female prisoners with circumstantial children.

Mr. Phiri has told QFM News in an interview that, female prisoners and their circumstantial children who are confined in prison under go difficulty challenges and are not well looked after.

Mr. Phiri says prisons countrywide are meant to accommodate 6,100 prisoners and currently the number is seventeen thousand and thirty eight (17,038) of which 1,400 are female prisoners with four thousand and fifteen (4,015) circumstantial children.

He says such as situation is inhumane.

Mr. Phiri adds that children with imprisoned mothers should be given the necessary care and be let to enjoy their rights instead of making them suffer for the crimes they did not commit or participate in.

He has since appealed to the Ministry of Gender, Mother and Child Health to find a solution for the female prisoners with circumstantial children.

 

QFM NEWS

( Sunday 05th October 2014 )

2 COMMENTS

  1. It is very unfair that the government that believe in children’s rights and ratification can be silent on this children’s issues in prison and yet are busy preparing a Golden Jubilee celebration. The Human Rights Activist Phillimon Phiri earlier on advised the government to apply a golden pardon for mothers with children and women with trial cases during the golden jubilee celebrations. Many countries have done that in Africa, States and Europe but why cannot Zambia do that this year.

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