US$13,2m Needed Yet Only US$3m Allocated To Avert Prison Starvation

Government allocated a paltry US$3 million for food at the country’s prisons in the 2016 National Budget, enough to procure food for just three months for the prison population of approximately 20 000.

The resultant food shortages at the correctional institutions are a real threat to security at prisons, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs observed in its report on the 2016 National Budget.

The committee said at least US$13,2m was needed to avert hunger in prisons.

In March this year, deadly food riots broke out at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, resulting in at least 10 prisoners being shot dead and several others injured after inmates went on a rampage demanding a better diet

“The functions of the Prisons and Correctional Services sector will be constrained due to that an amount of $1 100 000 is required monthly for inmates’ food, translating to $13 200 000 per annum,” the Justice committee report read.

“This ($3 million allocated for next year) represents 24% of the actual requirement and only enough to cover three months of food supply, and this leaves the prisons in a very precarious position, considering that consequences of food shortage imply threat to security and thus threat to human life.”

The Prisons and Correctional Services was allocated $88,7m in the 2016 National Budget, a 1,18% increase from the $87,6m allocated in 2015.

The committee said a meagre $165 000 was also allocated towards maintenance of infrastructure at the country’s prisons instead of US$4,5m.

“An amount of US$39,48 is required to fully dress an inmate. So the total requirement would be US$1,5m per annum, considering that at least two sets of uniforms may suffice in one particular year for a maximum of 20 000 inmates. But only US$125 000 was allocated for prisoners’ uniforms in 2016.”

On medical supplies for prisoners, only US$301 000 was allocated when US$5,1m was needed.

“This will compromise the procurement of drugs and medicines and the department will continue to survive on donations from well-wishers or referring most cases to private and government hospitals,” the committee said.

It said another challenge that the Prisons and Correctional Services department was likely to face in 2016 was delivering prisoners to attend court cases, as only US$1,1m was allocated instead of US$1,7m for transport.By Veneranda Langa