Robert Carr Fund/2019-2021 SANOP

Southern African Network of Prisons (SANOP)

Southern African Network of Prisons (SANOP) is a regional network supporting the health and human rights of prisoners and ex-inmates in Southern African countries, namely eSwatini, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

 

Grantee type:
Regional
Grant:
$450,000
Grant period:
2019-2021

 

The SANOP network consists of at least 53 network members across the four implementing countries, which are governed by a Regional Board which entails ex-inmates, Civil Society Organisations and Correctional Service Commissioners from each of the four implementing countries.  At country level, SANOP is governed by an elected committee from the country chapter members which include civil society organisations, exinmates, and government line ministries.

  • Throughout the world, law enforcement and criminal justice systems disproportionately detain and punish people who are marginalized because of poverty, mental health issues, substance use, migrant status or national origin, sexuality or gender expression, or other issues that should not be a cause for incarceration.
  • People who are detained, jailed, or incarcerated can face worse mental health and substance use issues because of abusive and violent conditions in detention facilities. Prisoners can be exposed to tuberculosis because of overcrowded and poorly ventilated facilities. Inmates also are exposed to risks of infections such as hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV due to unsafe sexual activities (including among men having sex with men), unsafe tattooing, blood sharing rituals, and sharing of injection equipment. In most countries, health care in jails and prisons is inadequate to prevent or treat these health issues. For these reasons, the global prevalence of HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), hepatitis B and C and tuberculosis among prisoners is 2 to 10 times higher than in the general population.
  • After release from detention, ex-inmates face poverty because of social dislocation and legal barriers to work, education and housing. Former inmates can also experience isolation and lack of services because of stigma and discrimination associated with incarceration.
  • Prisoners and former inmates have important direct experience of their health needs and barriers to health services. Linking prisoners and former inmates with human rights defenders can help to develop strategic services and advocacy to reduce detention and incarceration of people, improve conditions for detainees and prisoners in line with human rights conventions and treaties, and improve services for people caught up in criminal justice systems.

 

RCF funding 2019-2021

SANOP was awarded US$ 450,000 in funding from the Robert Carr Fund for work during 2019-2021.  This funding was allocated to both core and strategic program costs to help build the capacity of national ex-inmate associations, in-prison clubs, and other network members in eSwatini, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe and to support collective action regionally.

 

Geographic coverage

SANOP is a regional network, convening and supporting ex-inmate associations, in-prison clubs, national prison and correctional services, Ministries of Health and other ministries, and other organizations that serve prisoners or advocate for their health and rights in eSwatini, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

 

Population coverage

SANOP is focused on the empowerment, leadership, health and rights of prisoners and ex-inmates. With RCF support to SANOP, prisoners and ex-inmates in eSwatini, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe will strengthen their organizing, advocacy and health-related support, and will have greater access to health services and rights-focused services, through in-prison clubs, ex-inmate associations, and other programs.

 

Activities 2019-2021

With RCF funding in 2019-2021, SANOP will strengthen the capacity of ex-inmate associations, in-prison clubs, national prison and correctional services, Ministries of Health, and other organizations to serve prisoners and advocate for prisoner health and rights. Activities will include:

  • Annual symposia, sensitization meetings, national dialogues, and trainings in each of the four countries to share information and develop strategies to address HIV and human rights issues within prisons and correctional facilities;
  • Regular convening of the SANOP network and sponsoring of regional exchange visits to increase learning and coordinate actions across countries; and
  • A review of the network’s current structure and of the capacity of each network member, and subsequent development of new strategies to improve the network’s activities and structures.

The SANOP network has already succeeded in gaining acceptance, trust, engagement and support of leaders in the prisons sector in each country, and has become a space in which ex-inmates, service providers, advocates and government officials can meet together to discuss policies and practices related to prisoner health and rights.

Through SANOP network activities, ex-inmate associations, service providers, and prison officials will gain new understanding of rights-based standards for prison health, strategize about ways to implement and monitor these human rights standards in prisons and work to improve the delivery of health services and the protection and promotion of human rights in prisons.

 

Results 2019-2021

The intended results from this work during 2019-2021 will include:

  • Network strength and influence: In countries of eSwatini, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, networks of ex-inmate associations, in-prison clubs, national prison and correctional services, Ministries of Health, and other organizations will improve regional coordination, collaboration and capacity to serve prisoners and advocate for prisoner health and rights.
  • Human rights: National prison and correctional services will review and discuss rights-based standards for prison health and will strategize about ways to implement and monitor these human rights standards in prisons.