I agree with Joseph's concern about overcrowding, ill treatment and all. But what are prisons made for, entertainment, prayers, pop music, lodging or what? 

Answer: Punishment. Let us face the facts. 

Prevention is better than cure; instead of going in and then dictating how your hosts will treat you, why not avoid going in in the first place, by avoiding crime? 

If there is no congestion in prisons, the food rations will be adequate. So will the fresh air. 

But there a section of our society that does not want to work to earn a living; they prefer the easier option of stealing and cheating. 

For some, the prisons are very good. A former inmate told me last year that while in there, he even ate meat, "which I can only afford once a month now." 

J.K. MATHENGE 

Nairobi