A Model for Good Prison Farm Management in Africa

Source: (2002) Penal Reform International.

In most prison services throughout Africa, the main expense aside from staff salaries is food for the prison ration which is invariably purchased from outside contractors. The funds allocated for these rations are often only sufficient for one meal per day which is inadequate both in terms of quantity and quality. Again, most prison services in Africa have access to substantial areas of land, but this land is either unproductive or under-producing. Farm managers are constrained by lack of resources. If Prisons come low down the list of government spending priorities, Farms appear low down the list of Prison budgeting priorities. This document provides a framework for Prison Services to consider in seeking ways to improve productivity in their prison farms that are: cost-effective; sustainable; and rights-based. The framework is drawn from farming and management practices in eastern and southern Africa and PRI’s experience on the continent. It is not a blueprint, but illustrative of what can be done to maximise profitability with scarce resources. (excerpt)