Published: 4 hours ago

Zimbabwe's correctional facilities are facing a severe overcrowding crisis, with some prisons operating at nearly three times their intended capacity, a parliamentary committee has warned.

The joint portfolio committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and the thematic committee on Human Rights, after touring several prisons across the country, found that congestion levels ranged between 200 and 300 percent - describing the situation as "one of the most critical and persistent challenges" facing the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS).

According to the report tabled in Parliament, Gwanda Prison emerged as one of the worst affected, housing 210 inmates in a facility built for only 60 - a staggering 350 percent overcrowding rate. Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, the country's largest correctional facility, was found to be holding 2,689 inmates in space designed for just 1,114.

The problem was equally evident at Binga Prison, which held 78 inmates against a capacity of 45, and Harare Remand Prison, which had 1,361 detainees despite a maximum capacity of 900. Other overcrowded institutions included Bindura Prison, with 443 inmates against a capacity of 393, and Marondera Prison, where 730 prisoners were squeezed into facilities meant for 358.

The report highlighted the severe human rights and health consequences of this congestion, noting that inmates are forced to sleep in cramped, poorly ventilated, and leaking cells. Sanitation systems are overstretched, bedding and clothing are scarce, and medical access remains limited - all of which heighten the risk of disease outbreaks and mental distress.

"At some prisons visited, the committee found inmates wearing torn or worn-out clothes, with some relying on donations from relatives," the report noted. "These conditions compromise the dignity and wellbeing of inmates, particularly during the cold season."

The committee said that while open prisons such as Conemara and Marondera Female Open Prison offer comparatively humane conditions due to smaller populations and more progressive rehabilitation models, they remain isolated exceptions in a system struggling under the weight of chronic overcrowding and underfunding.

Lawmakers have called for urgent measures to address the crisis, including the expansion of prison infrastructure, the use of non-custodial sentencing for minor offences, and improved funding for inmate welfare.

"The state of our prisons is a reflection of the justice system's broader challenges," the report concluded, warning that without immediate intervention, Zimbabwe's correctional institutions risk becoming "centres of despair rather than rehabilitation."
- zimlive

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