NCJ Number
158292
Date Published
1994
Length
127 pages
Annotation
This report examines the causes of prison overcrowding in Tanzania, and recommends ways to reduce the prison population.
Abstract
The Law Reform Commission of Tanzania recommends the expansion of existing facilities and the construction of new prisons, with priority given to areas with high crime rates. Many defendants are imprisoned while awaiting trial; reduced delays in case processing could alleviate some of the overcrowding problem. The Commission recommends that habitual criminals, life prisoners, and prisoners convicted of serious offenses be kept in maximum-security facilities, while alternative sanctions should be found for less serious offenders. These would include expanding the use of bail, releasing prisoners through an extramural penal employment program, and sentencing misdemeanants to community service and manual labor. Finally, the correctional system in Tanzania needs to develop effective parole and aftercare services. 5 appendixes