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Thursday 11 Dec 2014 - 10:16 Makkah mean time-19-2-1436 <div style="text-align: justify;"> Maputo (IINA) – The Mozambican Justice Ministry is preparing to enact new legislation, whereby courts can grant alternative punishments to prison.<br /> Upon opening a seminar on alternatives to prison here on Monday, Justice Minister Benvinda Levi said this would take the form of compulsory community service. The measure will cover first offenders found guilty of crimes which carry prison sentences of up to eight years.<br /> Ms. Levi added that currently Mozambique's overcrowded jails have a population of between 15,000 and 16,000 inmates. Around 11,000 of them are serving jail term sentences while the rest are awaiting trial. About 40 percent of the convicted ones are serving jail terms of eight years or less.<br /> "In all, about 5,000 prisoners would not be in jail if these measures were to be applied today," she said.<br /> Levi said that the introduction of alternative penalties aims at re-integrating the offenders into the community so that they have the opportunity to redeem themselves in the eyes of their society. She appealed for community support in the reintegration of offenders.<br /> She expected the new legislation to take effect in August 2015. Consequently, more than 80 percent of inmates, who are serving sentences no longer than eight years, would immediately be released.<br /> AB/IINA</div> |
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