By DELPHINE ZULU –

THE Human Rights Commission (HRC) has praised Government’s intention to transform the old Kitwe Remand Prison into a juvenile reformatory centre to assist in improving the juvenile justice delivery.
The commission said transforming the prison into a reformatory facility for the juvenile offenders signified Government’s commitment to rectify the sad situation being experienced in prisons and was in line with the national and international child rights minimum standards.
HRC spokesperson, Simon Mulumbi hoped the move by Government would be fully realised in compliance with its obligations in respect of standards on deprivation of liberty for children in conflict with the law that it had ratified.
“It is important that the facility, if turned into a juvenile centre, should meet the minimum standards relating to rehabilitation and reformation of children so that children in conflict with the law who will be kept under the facility are better prepared for re-integration in society,” he said.
He said the transformation should include the provision of a range of programmes and services such as education and skills training that would assist children’s re-integration once released.
He said the Commission had noted through recent inspections of detention facilities that a number of issues concerning juveniles deprived of liberty, required urgent attention and hoped Government would take measures that would enhance compliance with minimum standards to strengthen the protection of juvenile prisoners.
During recent checks in prisons, the HRC observed that juvenile offenders were kept together with adult prisoners in various prisons and police cells where there were no separating facilities for the children.
He said only few prisons were found holding children in separate facilities citing Kawambwa District Prison, Mansa State Prison, Kamfinsa Female Prison, Kamfinsa Male Prison, Choma Central prison, Solwezi Central Prison and Mazabuka State Prison.