Lack of juvenile centres affecting reformation

The absence of a juvenile rehabilitation centre in the Northern Region is causing problems in management of child offenders, a district court users committee meeting held at Mzuzu Court has established.

A meeting the Centre for Legal Assistance (Cela) organised on Wednesday observed that it is expensive to transport juvenile offenders to rehabilitation centres in other regions of the country.

The development compels prison authorities to combine adults and juveniles in the same cell leading to congestion in prisons.

Cela executive director Charles Kasambara said his organisation is currently building a female wing at the Mzuzu Prison which will help decongest female prison cells.

“As Cela, when such matters arise, we are more than willing to help. We need to coordinate with different stakeholders to help prisoners,” Kasambara said.

The meetings are held to assist the government in improving criminal justice system to the benefit of poor Malawians who do not know the law.

Among other short-term solutions to the problem, participants proposed the establishment of joint fund to be contributed by all stakeholders involved in handling juvenile matters.

The funding would be used to transport the juveniles to rehabilitation centres in Central and Southern regions.