Malawi is a country in Southern Africa with close to 12 million people. It’s listed as one of the poorest nations in the world, according to the United Nations Human Development Index. Malawi’s prison system is also considered one of the worst in the world.

Mostly young and inexperienced prosecutors and legal aid lawyers have immense caseloads and no money for investigators or experts. There isn’t a single psychiatrist in the entire country. 

As a result, most prisoners awaiting trial have little hope of seeing the inside of a courtroom . Prisoners face the real risk of dying in prison as a result of disease or suffocation from overcrowding. Maladies such as Scabies, Diarrhea, Malnutrition and Malaria run rampant in the prisons. Tuberculosis outbreaks and HIV infections are common.

During their spring break, 6 law students from Northwestern University went to Malawi to review case files and write opinions for the chief prosecutor. The students recommended plea bargains or dismissals in 25 cases and they got results. 

This Thursday at noon, the law students will share their experiences in Malawi at an event at Northwestern University’s Law School.

Lynn Marshall and Lucy Stroup are two of the Northwestern law students who went to Malawi. With them was Sandra Babcock. She’s Clinical Professor and Director of the Center for International Human Rights at the Northwestern University School of Law. Sandra directed the students on the trip.

It’s not everyday that students work on death penalty cases in Malawi.  Sandra Babcock explained how the effort came together.