ZPCS Digital Rollout Paves Way for Parole Reform

The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service launches a nationwide digital inmate data system to modernise records, reduce overcrowding, and prepare for a structured parole framework (image source)

The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) has launched the Electronic Inmate Data Capturing Programme (EIDCaP) across all 48 prisons — a digitisation drive that officials say will streamline records, relieve overcrowding pressures and pave the way for a structured parole system aimed at rehabilitation over punishment.

Speaking at the Mutare Farm Prison launch, Assistant Commissioner Alois Sibanda said the new system will replace paper files with a centralised database, enabling data-driven decisions on inmate management and parole eligibility based on behaviour, rehabilitation progress and risk assessment. The platform will reduce paperwork, provide instant access to inmate data, and support virtual court appearances — a move correctional experts say is vital for fair and efficient parole administration.

Zimbabwe currently houses roughly 25,000 inmates across 48 facilities, with acute overcrowding in provincial prisons. In Manicaland alone, more than 2,200 inmates strain resources and limit rehabilitation opportunities. Specialists argue that a structured parole framework, backed by reliable data, could ease congestion and incentivise good behaviour — but warn that digitisation alone will not guarantee success.

Key challenges persist, including uneven ICT capacity across prisons, a shortage of trained staff to handle sensitive records, and the lack of a clear legal or operational framework for parole. Other nations have paired similar systems with independent parole boards and transparent guidelines — areas where Zimbabwe’s plans remain undisclosed.

At Mutare Farm Prison, inmates expressed cautious optimism. Editor Chihwayi, serving nine years for stock theft, called parole “a second chance,” adding that digital records could fairly reflect rehabilitation efforts. ZPCS officials stress that any parole scheme will be structured, supervised, and anchored on public safety.

Critical questions remain unanswered: which body will make release decisions, how community supervision will be funded, what safeguards protect inmate data, and when the government will publish clear timelines. Until those issues are addressed, EIDCaP risks becoming a technical milestone without systemic reform.

“This programme is about knowing our inmates better, tracking their progress, and making evidence-based decisions,” said Assistant Commissioner Sibanda.