Prison Services Trains Officers to Roll Out Non-Custodial Sentences
By Wendy Mkandawire
Malawi Prison Services (MPS) has embarked on a two-month training program for over 100 community corrections officers to spearhead the implementation of non-custodial sentences as government moves to reduce expenditure and decongest prisons.
The training, which commenced in September 2023 at Mapanga Prison Training School in Blantyre, targets officers who will be deployed to districts without prison formations such as Salima, Machinga, Phalombe and Mchinji.
Confirming the development, MPS Public Relations Officer Steve Meke said the initiative follows operational reforms in prison services aimed at modernizing correctional management in line with the Correctional Services Act.
Meke explained that the program will significantly reduce government spending on feeding, housing and guarding inmates, as offenders under community corrections will serve their sentences at home under supervision.
He added that the approach is more rehabilitative, allowing offenders to support their families, reconcile with victims and reintegrate smoothly into society, thereby reducing re-offending.
According to Meke, overcrowding remains one of the biggest challenges facing Malawi’s prisons, with most facilities holding more than double their designed capacity, putting inmates’ lives at risk through poor hygiene, disease outbreaks and human rights violations.
The orientation will equip officers with skills in the supervision of community service, parole, probation and restorative justice, as Malawi joins other countries embracing non-custodial sentencing to promote rehabilitation over punishment.
