The heavy iron gates creaked open and, for the first time in years, freedom lay just a few steps away.
Clutching small plastic bags containing their last possessions from prison, dozens of inmates walked out free last week, some smiling nervously, others wiping away tears as families rushed forward to embrace them.
In Mashonaland West alone, 295 inmates were among 4305 released under a Presidential amnesty granted by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Authorities said the move was meant to give offenders a second chance while easing congestion in the country’s correctional facilities.
But beyond the emotional reunions and brief celebrations at the prison gates lies a more complex story of years spent behind bars.
Inmates talked of harsh prison conditions, lessons learned in confinement and the daunting task of rebuilding lives in a society that may not easily forget their past.
One of the released inmates, Smart Jeffrey, said he was relieved to regain his freedom six months before completing his sentence after being jailed for causing a fatal accident while driving without a licence.
“I’m happy to be out of prison. Inside there it’s hell on earth,” Jeffrey said.
Narrating his experience, Jeffrey said life behind bars is marked by severe shortages of food, uniforms and basic necessities.
“The food is poorly prepared and often lacks cooking oil, but one has to eat to survive,” he said.
“At first my health deteriorated because I wasn’t eating, but eventually I got used to the food although it was very difficult.”
Another amnesty beneficiary, who declined to be named, was released after serving nine years of a 12-year sentence for stock theft.
While grateful for his freedom, he described prison life as degrading and traumatic.
“I have learnt my lesson,” he said.
“Prison is very hard from the first day.
“It’s a place where you are treated like a second-class citizen and you lose many of your rights.”
The former inmate, who served his sentence at Harare Remand Prison, said the most traumatic experience he endured was being sexually abused by fellow inmates.
“I don’t feel like a complete man anymore because of the abuse I suffered in prison, where I was taken as a wife by other prisoners. That’s the worst thing I went through,” he said, fighting back tears.
Jeffrey said such abuse is common in prison despite being a serious offence when discovered.
He added that the problem is often linked to the scarcity of food and basic commodities.
“Those who have food, cigarettes and other supplies become powerful,” he said.
“They control everything. Some inmates even exchange food or other favours for sexual relationships.”
According to Jeffrey, such relationships often occur at night when inmates are asleep, during bathing times, or sometimes even during the day when opportunities arise.
For former female inmates, the journey has also been painful.
A mother of one from Chitungwiza Tariro Katsande who was serving a sentence for drug trafficking, said her time in prison was extremely difficult, particularly because she had no family visits.
“It was painful because no one came to see me while I was in prison, but I have changed,” she said.
“I’m now looking forward to rebuilding my life and living a better life free from crime.”
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Association for Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation of the Offender (Zacro) says the amnesty has not fully addressed overcrowding in the country’s prisons.
Zacro director Edison Chihota said although more than 4 000 inmates were released, correctional facilities remain heavily congested.
“Our prisons still hold far more inmates than they were designed to accommodate,” Chihota told Standard People.
“The release of about 4 000 prisoners is not enough to bring numbers down to manageable levels of around 15 000.”
He added that the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates is also being undermined by serious shortages of resources.
“The rehabilitation and reintegration process is hampered by lack of resources, as the little that is available is mainly directed towards providing food,” Chihota said.
As the prison gates close behind them, the men and women released under the amnesty step into a world that has moved on without them.
For some, freedom brings hope, a chance to rebuild broken relationships, find honest work and start again.
For others, it is the beginning of a difficult journey marked by stigma and uncertainty.