By Clayton Shereni, Masvingo Correspondent

THE Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) will this Easter holiday hold its Family Week where members of the public are allowed to visit incarcerated friends and family members.

The Family Week, which had been shelved due to the Covid-19 pandemic, has been slated for April 15 to 19.

Initially the event was supposed to be held from April 18-22 across all prisons and correctional facilities in the country but was rescheduled to Easter Holidays.

The ZPCS national public relations division tweeted: “ZPCS would like to notify the public that the dates for the family week has been adjusted to 15-19 April, 2022. The rehabilitation of offenders is the responsibility of all Zimbabweans. Visitation of inmates is part of rehabilitation.”

ZPCS Masvingo provincial spokesperson, Stanslus Sanike confirmed that they will now hold the event earlier than the initial schedule.

“We will be having a family week with the rest of prison facilities in the country. People will be allowed to visit inmates in our prisons,” Sanike said.

The program is open to members of the public who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

Family Week is meant to improve the rehabilitation of perpetrators by initiation their reintegration into society through improved interaction with families and other societal leaders.

The event was launched over sometime in 2017 is an annual event with an intention to raise inmates’ hopes for another chance as they look forward to reintegration into the society.