African Prisons Are Human Rights Friendly - 1473 Words

1.0 Introduction While prisons in Africa are often considered the worst in the world many other prisons systems are worse off in terms of violence, overcrowding and a host of other problems. This is not to argue that African prisons are human rights friendly. Many are in a deficient condition and their practices are at odds with human rights standards. However, prisons in many parts of the global are in crisis. Never before have there so many problems within penal systems and such large numbers of people in institutions of incarceration. 1.2 Background of the problem During the nineteenth century, the prison was located in the on the sea front in Zanzibar Town. In 1884, Sir John Kirk, H.M. Agent and Consul General, witnessed visited the†¦show more content†¦Prison labor is being deployed on a nation-building and revenue-sharing footing, with some penal institutions being declared as economically self-sustaining corporations. The modern agricultural practices implemented there are intended to serve as models for village agriculture. The aim of rehabilitation, however, is illusive, since persons are incarcerated for adherence to forbidden tribal customs, for default of agricultural production norms, and for noncompliance with mandatory resettlement in villagization projects. As more and more offenders are sent to prisons for openly opposing government policies, the institutions are failing their economic self-sustenance goals and becoming an increasing burden to the State. The contradictory conditions in Tanzanian prisons reflect the conflict between the government s aims to create a socialist society and ideological consensus out of a reality where capitalist characteristics control the economy and primitive customs guide the populace. The role of prisons in Tanzania, Zanzibar is inclusive is followed from their establishment as instruments of colonialism to the current nationalistic efforts to create modern agricultural corporations of penal institutions. 1.3 Statement of the problem Nearly twenty years after its establishment, the SRP continues to receive