‘Donations to prison essential’

Donations to prisons reduce the Malawi Prison Service’s burden of providing for inmates who need a conducive environment to reform.

Chichiri Prison station officer Evans Kataira Chisi said this on Saturday when a youth group, Orange Partners, donated firewood and 35 blankets and confectionery to the female section at Chichiri Prison in Blantyre.

Chisi said as of Saturday, the prison had 1 902 inmates “and expecting more on remand.”

Of the figure, 1 062 were on hard labour, 822 on remand and eight were children whose mothers are serving sentences.

Soko said on average, the prison needs about 20 kgs sugar, 20 kgs salt, 300 kgs of beans and 25 bags of 50kg-maize flour daily.

But he said the problem of firewood will soon be over because the prison has acquired a new switchboard to operate 12 electric pots.

Coordinator for special events at Orange Partners, Licy Kamwendo, said the donation was part of their social responsibility as the prison serves a community to which they belong.