Source: (2001) Kampala, Uganda: United Nations African Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders.
The authors of this report point to the problem of overcrowding in prisons in many African countries. The means are available in the current criminal justice system to reduce overcrowding, if they were being properly implemented. Among other means, they include habeas corpus legislation, alternatives to imprisonment, review of sentence, and release on parole. The authors propose another approach to reduce overcrowding – successful resettlement of ex-offenders into their local communities to reduce recidivism. The aim is to break the cycle of criminal offending, prison, release, and re-offending. The authors argue that this approach, along with strict implementation of currently available legal tools, can significantly reduce prison overcrowding.
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