- Survey of 4,142 officers points to alcohol, gambling and debt problems, as a survivor and Deputy Commissioner call for mental health to be a priority
Malawi’s prison service in the Southern Region has signed a mental wellness pact with Young Achievers for Development (YAD) and the Gift of Khonde Initiative, after warnings that suicide is taking a toll on officers
Jefferson Milanzie, executive director of YAD, who says he attempted suicide several times and survived, is now training prison officers and inmates on how to handle stress and depression
“Hearing the stories from prison, we want to train inmates as well as officers on how they can handle stress and depression,” he said
Milanzie said suicide claimed 567 Malawians last year, three of them prison officers in the Southern Region, and that four others tried and survived
He said YAD’s Abambo Tibe Khonde Initiative handled six anonymous cases from prison officers last year
The pact was signed on Thursday by the Malawi Prisons Service (MPS) in the Southern Region
A survey of 4,142 officers in the region found 145 alcohol-related cases, 68 gambling cases, 105 family conflicts, 149 debt cases and 18 disciplinary hearings linked to social issues
Southern Region prison mental health clinical officer Demster Chimatiro said the uniform hides a human being
“Behind this uniform, there is a human being. When an officer dies, their family is affected,” he said
He said prison workers face high social expectations to withstand pressure
Deputy Commissioner of Prisons Zacheus Malekano M’bawa said the service had focused for too long on security and discipline
“Overcrowding, shortage of reorkers. Mental health should be given priority,” he said
M’bawa said the wellness message must reach all officers at all levels
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