This project provides effective legal counsel and legal rights awareness for 100 indigent detainees in Zimbabwe, who are often abused and imprisoned with adult convicts.
Prison conditions continue to be life threatening in Zimbabwe. Shortages of food, water, electricity, clothing, and soap are daily hardships. In 2009, there were approximately 300 juveniles in prison facilities; most of them held in pretrial detention with adult prisoners. They are particularly vulnerable to the effects of poor prison conditions, and local reports indicate numerous complaints of physical and sexual abuse.
IBJ lawyers mine jail records to find juvenile offenders who have been lost in the legal system. They investigate each case, strive to acquire release on bail for their juvenile clients, and provide committed counsel to expedite their cases.
This project will provide effective legal representation for 100 juveniles - 1/3 of the country’s juvenile prison population - enabling them to reunite with their families and rejoin their schools, and spawning a generation who value rule of law.
