Arron Nyamayaro
THE Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) is unveiling a new Correctional Industries Manufacturing site (CIM).
Located on Emmerson Mnangagwa Road in Harare, the site will also contain a restaurant, bar and coffee shop, where inmates and prison officers will serve food.
ZPCS national spokesperson, Chief Superintendent Meya Khanyezi, said the facility was aimed at preparing prisoners for their return to society by training them in various areas of work.
The site will also be available for community events, such as parties, weddings and church meetings.
“Our inmates are being trained in various works during incarceration to keep them abreast with daily duties outside prison,” said Chief Supt Khanyezi.
“The industrial site to be opened this Friday (today) is a clear testimony of what the prisons are doing in the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders programme.
“The place has a number of facilities that will bring the community face-to-face with some of our inmates and is good for conferences and other functions.
“By taking inmates to serve the community, we are trying to bridge the gap between inmates and society in an effort to prepare them for reintegration into society upon completion of their sentences,” she said.
CIM operations manager, Chief Correctional Officer Mark Chihobvu, told H-Metro that the site has a recreational facility where community members are also allowed to book for private functions.
“We will be serving traditional foods at the restaurant as well as coffee, chips and sausages to our clients.
“It’s designed to suit all weather, for in and outdoor functions,” he said.