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 food budget shares and elasticities for the food stuffs commonly eaten 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 quadratic almost ideal demand system (QUAIDS) model as an analytical tool.Results from the analysis showed that budget shares for maize and beans were high as reflected by the fact that 86.5 per cent of the prison food budget was spent on these two food items while 6.8 per cent was spent on meat and vegetables. Maize was inelastic while meat, beans and salt were elastic with the own-price elasticity for meat being the highest. Expenditure elasticities for maize, meat and beans, at above unity, showed that these food items were luxuries in Malawi's prisons.

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 importance of farms in Malawi’s prisons by comparing food insecurity in prisons with farms to that in prisons without farms. 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 probit and the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) models as an analytical tools.Results from the analysis showed that practically all prisoners in Malawi’s prisons were food insecure. There was a higher perception of food insecurity in prisons without farms than there was in prisons with farms. Conditions of severe food insecurity were experienced more in non-farmed prisons than in farmed prisons, and more prisoners in non-farmed prisons depended on food brought to them from their homes. Food insecurity was more prevalent in prisons without farms than in prisons with farms.

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 effect of smaller prisoner numbers at a prison on the inmates’ access to food. This was done by comparing food insecurity in small prisons with that in big institutions. An institution housing less than 400 inmates was considered a small prison while one housing more than 400 prisoners was considered a big institution. Using structured questionnaires in face to face interviews, the study collected data from 1000 inmates and 30 officers-in-charge from all prisons in the country. The data was analysed using Stata 12 and employed the probit and the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) models as analytical tools.Results from the analysis showed that practically all inmates in Malawi’s prisons were food insecure. There was, however, a higher perception of food insecurity in big prisons than there was in small ones. Conditions of severe food insecurity were experienced more in big institutions than in small ones, and more inmates in big prisons depended on food brought to them from their homes. Food insecurity was more prevalent in big prisons than in small ones.