By Aubrey Thom Vakhani
Restorative and Justice Building Facilitator at Mzuzu Prison, Fumbani Gondwe, has asked faith leaders to bring awareness to the community at large to appreciate the importance of community acceptance of ex-prisoners.
Gondwe said this in Mzuzu on Monday during an interface between Mzuzu Prison officials and the Muslim community, emphasising the need to promote restorative justice and peace building.
The effort aims to bridge the gap between ex-offenders and the community, encouraging a more supportive and inclusive environment for those seeking a second chance.
“Most of the inmates who are released are not being welcomed back into society. They are labeled with the same offenses they committed before, and it’s hard for them to start anew,” said Gondwe.
He highlighted the prison’s efforts to create peace clubs within local societies, where community members can discuss peace and conflict resolution.
“We want to tell the community that when they come out, they should be welcomed because they are changed people,” he said.
In his remarks, Sheikh Francis Iron, Coordinator of the Mzuzu Islamic Information Bureau, welcomed the initiative, acknowledging the gap between ex-offenders and the community.
“People think that everyone in prison is a wrongdoer, but we have learned that they can change.
“Meetings like this one, aimed at informing the community on the importance of embracing ex-prisoners, are very welcome and good for national development,” he said.
Iron pledged to spread the message of restorative justice and peace building within the Muslim community.
“Our main duty will be telling the community that we have to cooperate with those people who have just been released from prison. We have to give them a chance to take part in the development of the country,” said Iron.
The collaboration between Mzuzu Prison and the Muslim community is part of a larger effort to promote rehabilitation and reintegration.
Since its inception in 2022, the prison’s restorative justice program through Mzuzu Prison has resolved 194 cases, with 86 of them being successful and still working on the remaining cases, saying the initiative is ongoing which gets funding from St. Patrick’s Missionary Society based in Ireland.