Judge Demands Sentencing Overhaul for Packed Prisons

A High Court judge demanded urgent sentencing reforms after an inspection exposed severe overcrowding in Manicaland's correctional facilities. The judge identified sentencing practices as a primary driver of the congestion. The inspection revealed inmate populations far exceeding designed facility capacities across multiple prisons. Judicial authorities documented conditions that violate constitutional standards for humane detention. Legislative reform remains the only mechanism to address the structural causes of prison overcrowding.