A recent report has shown that Harare tops the list for the highest number of criminals admitted to local prisons in the first quarter of 2024.
This is contained in the latest 2024 first-quarter prison admissions and discharges statistics report issued by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT).
According to the report, Harare recorded 19.3 percent prisoners, while Matabeleland South had 4.4 percent. Prisoners admitted from outside the country amounted to 2.0 percent.
The report also shows that of the total prisoners, 97.2 perent are males while women constitute only 2.8 percent.
“At the end of the first quarter of 2024 there were 24,068 prisoners in prison facilities throughout the country 23,401 (97.2 percent) males 667 (2.8 percent) females,” the report read.
“Most new prisoners usually lived in Harare (19.3%), followed by Mashonaland West (11.9 percent) and Midlands (11.7 percent). Most new male prisoners usually lived in Harare (19.3 percent), followed by Mashonaland West (12.0 percent) and Midlands (11.8 percent). The majority of new female prisoners were from Harare (20.1 percent), followed by Mashonaland East (11.0 percent) and Mashonaland West (10.9 percent).”
The prison population increased from the last quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024.
The report further noted that the highest proportion of both new male and female prisoners were aged between 25 to 29 years, followed by those aged between 20 to 24.
It also noted that after the age group 25 to 29, the number of new prisoners decreased with the increasing age.
