Legal Empowerment. Capacity Building. Rehabilitation.
Increasing access to justice in Malawi through education on bail rights.
Access to Justice for All
Prisons in Malawi are severely overcrowded. Cells built to hold 80 people currently hold over 200 prisoners. This crisis is, in part, due to the large numbers of people being held unlawfully in pre-trial detention.
Watch our short film highlighting the work of Bail Project paralegals in educating communities and detainees on the right to bail and how to exercise it.
Legal Empowerment
An estimated 90% of people passing through the Malawian criminal justice system will not have access to a lawyer. We aim to provide free legal advice and assistance to the most vulnerable and marginalised through paralegal clinics, a 24/7 toll free line, booklets, audio tapes and Camp Courts.
Capacity building
The project aims to encourage co-operation between the courts, the police and the prison service through providing training and opportunity for discussion on the issues surrounding bail. It is essential to explore ways of making the justice system more accessible for the poor and unrepresented.
Rehabilitation
MBP partner organisation Nkhokwe Arts Group (NAG) are a group of ex-prisoners using theatre to educate local communities about the right to bail and how to apply for it, in an engaging and accessible way. The running of this group creates employment opportunities and a support network post-release for the ex-prisoners involved.
A bail project beneficiary (Steven) who applied for bail after reading our education materials said: “I have been helped through applying for bail and now I need to honour the bail conditions as I wait for trial. Today I'm going back home. My wife doesn't know I am coming back. When she will see me, she will be very excited and happy.”
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