New SERNAP director sworn into office

Maputo, 18 Mar (AIM) – Mozambican Prime Minister Benvinda Levi on Monday challenged the National Penitentiary Service (SERNAP) to promote programmes for the rehabilitation and social reintegration of prisoners.

Levi was speaking after swearing into office Ilídio Miguel as director-general of SERNAP. He replaces Brigadier Antonio Maurice, who held the position since 2021.

According to Levi, the new director-general must prioritize measures aimed at promoting policies to raise the performance of prison guards, “who are the guarantors of institutional stability.”

“We challenge you to continue implementing economic actions and activities that contribute to increasing and diversifying sources of income and, consequently, improving living conditions in prisons”, she said.

Levi recognized that overcrowding in prisons remains one of the main obstacles in the Mozambican prison system, and therefore “the government’s ongoing efforts are aimed at improving the management of prisons.”

“For SERNAP to fulfill its role, it is essential to strengthen the mechanisms for coordination and articulation with the various players in the administration of justice”, she said.

“As a government, we will continue to support SERNAP, strengthening oversight mechanisms and ensuring that the sector’s policies are aligned with the principles of justice, security and respect for human rights”, he added.

For his part, Miguel said that as a way of easing prison overcrowding, there is a urgent need to apply alternative measures to imprisonment, such as community service, confiscation of property, fines and the suspension of political rights.

“The application of an alternative measure depends on the seriousness of the crime, the stage of the process and the eligibility of the offender, and they are applied before the trial, during the criminal investigation phase”, he said.

Miguel explained that the modernization of prison services demands new information and communication technologies, including the placement of electronic anklets on prisoners.
(AIM)
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