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Prison warders warned against drug smuggling

Chief Commissioner of Prisons Kennedy Nkhoma has warned prison warders against smuggling drugs such as Indian hemp into prisons, saying this increases chances of inmates developing mental problems.

Speaking at Mapanga Prisons Training School in Blantyre on Saturday during the graduation of prison warders trained in mental health by the Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN), a constituent college of the University of Malawi (Unima), Nkhoma said it was time prison authorities thought “outside the cell” in dealing with challenges warders and prisoners face.

Nkhoma: Now that must change
Nkhoma: Now that must change

He said: “For a long time, we always thought keeping prisoners in custody, giving them enough food was all it took to run prisons. Now, that must change, as we have to look into their psycho-social well-being. Prisoners and warders have to be okay mentally and smuggling drugs into prisons does not help.”

Nkhoma’s sentiments were echoed by Southern Region prisons commanding officer Little Mtengano and two former Chichiri Prison inmates interviewed in Limbe.

“Warders have at times contributed to the mental [health] problems in prisons. They have smuggled liquor sachets and chamba into prisons,” said Mtengano.

A remandee who spent 13 years at Chichiri Prison and is now a vendor confirmed that some warders give prisoners hemp.

Said the ex-inmate: “They [warders] come by night, with blankets covering hemp and knock on cell windows for prisoners they know sell hemp. To get into a prison cell, we are thoroughly searched, so where does the hemp find its way into prison?”

Another former remandee said while he was in prison, they confronted the prison authorities who punished prisoners found with hemp.

“We told the authorities to first deal with their warders. Prisoners are in confinement and cannot bring into gaol drugs,” he said.

KCN vice-principal Professor Ellen Chirwa said the 104 graduating warders were trained in subjects that included depression and anger management.

“Prison is a stressful environment for prisoners and warders. Such stress leads to anger, that is why cases of violence and even suicide are common. We hope through this course, which we plan to conduct at a higher level, will help bring down mental problems in our prisons,” she said.

 

 

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