Abstract

Hastings Moloko, Davies Ng'ong'ola, Joseph Dzanja and Thabbie Chilongo

While Malawi’s per capita cereal production may be higher than her per capita cereal consumption, Malawi is a net cereal importer and thus food insecure. The food situation is much worse in Malawi’s prisons because inmates generally eat one meal per day. The general objective of this study was to determine the extent of food insecurity in Malawi’s prisons. Specifically, the study intended to determine the incidence and severity of food insecurity, and inequalities in the distribution of food and subvention in Malawi’s prisons. Using structured questionnaires in face to face interviews, the study collected data from 1000 prisoners and 30 officers-in-charge from all prisons in the country. The data was analysed using Stata 12 and employed the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) modeland Gini Coefficients as an analytical tools. Results from the analysis showed that practically all prisoners in Malawi’s prisons were food insecure. There existed a per capita aggregate food insecurity gap of 1,738.6 kilocalories per day or an aggregate food insecurity gap of 21,902,883 kilocalories per day or Malawi Kwacha (MK)18,932,100.00 worth of food deficit per day for the 12,598 prisoners or MK1,502.79 or USD 2.07 per prisoner per day in 2015. Prisoners in the prisons operated on 71 percentage points below the food security threshold. There were inequalities in the distribution of food and subvention in Malawi’s prisoners. Both the Watts Index and Sen Index confirmed the high levels of food insecurity in Malawi’s prisons.