Innocent and John’s hard work and successful efforts in petitioning for bail in Norton Court ( 40 kilometers away from Harare) brought fifteen prisoners to freedom last month, previously held in Remand prison in Zimbabwe for upwards of a year. Most of the bail applications were for prisoners held in prison on charges of non-violent crimes, including theft and unlawful entry. While the valued property amounts for theft were extremely high, as reflected by the ever changing inflation rates in Zimbabwe, the general bail amounts were quite low, averaging around US $10. The Zimbabwe Prison Authorities recently announced that all four trucks servicing the country’s detainees from and to courts had broken down, thus adding to the current jail crisis. The deteriorating conditions of the prison system led Innocent and John to offer their clients a small transport allowance to enable them to appear to court, and, for those who were actually granted bail, to go back home to their families.

Unfortunately, upon arrival at Remand prison to ensure the release of the accused, Innocent and his team discovered that several had died while awaiting trial in prison, mostly from untreated TB. Several prisoners reported being beaten or otherwise mistreated by prison guards or police officers while incarcerated. As Innocent and John report, all of the released prisoners were all smiles after being in custody for over a year. Many of the accused are due for sentencing, and Innocent and John are actively prepared to apply for immediate discharge at that time, arguing that they have served their sentence during the long wait in custody. We will keep you posted as details on the sentencing emerge.