The Rhodesia Prison Service (RPS) was a

law enforcement agency A law enforcement agency (LEA) is any government agency responsible for law enforcement within a specific jurisdiction through the employment and deployment of law enforcement officers and their resources. The most common type of law enforcement ...

Rhodesia Rhodesia ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state, unrecognised state in Southern Africa that existed from 1965 to 1979. Rhodesia served as the ''de facto'' Succession of states, successor state to the ...

. A subdivision of the Rhodesian Security Forces, it was responsible for the administration of the Rhodesian

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...

system. Established in 1954 as the

Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia was a self-governing British Crown colony in Southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The region was informally known as South ...

Prison Department and incorporated into the federal prison service of the

Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, also known as the Central African Federation (CAF), was a colonial federation that consisted of three southern African territories: the Self-governing colony, self-governing British colony of Southern ...

, it continued as the prison service of independent Rhodesia during the UDI period. Upon

Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...

's independence in 1980, it was dissolved and superseded by the Zimbabwe Prison Services. The RPS was led by the director of prisons, who was assisted by a deputy director and an assistant director. The first director of prisons was

David Cameron David William Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton (born 9 October 1966) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016. Until 2015, he led the first coalition government in the UK s ...

in 1954, and the final officeholder was Frank Leslie Patch, serving from 1968 to 1980.

History

Prior to 1954, prisons in

were administered by the Southern Rhodesia Prison Department (SRPD). On 30 November 1954, the Federal Assembly of the

passed the Prisons Department Act (49/1954), which incorporated the SRPD into the Federal Prison Service (FPS), effective 1 December 1954. This arrangement continued until December 1963, when the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland dissolved and autonomy was returned to the individual colonies of Southern Rhodesia,

Northern Rhodesia Northern Rhodesia was a British protectorate in Southern Africa, now the independent country of Zambia. It was formed in 1911 by Amalgamation (politics), amalgamating the two earlier protectorates of Barotziland-North-Western Rhodesia and North ...

, and

Nyasaland Nyasaland () was a British protectorate in Africa that was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Between 1953 and 1963, Nyasaland was part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. After ...

, the latter two of which gained independence in 1964 as

Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...

and

Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...

, respectively. From 1963, the service continued as the Southern Rhodesia Prison Service (SRPS). In 1965, shortly before

unilateral declaration of independence A unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) or "unilateral secession" is a formal process leading to the establishment of a new state by a subnational entity which declares itself independent and sovereign without a formal agreement with the ...

from the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, the SRPS began using the name Rhodesia Prison Service. In 1980, upon

's independence, the RPS was dissolved and superseded by the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service.

Organizational structure

Administration and personnel

The headquarters of the Rhodesia Prison Service was located at the corner of Fourth Street and Jameson Avenue (today renamed

Samora Machel Samora Moisés Machel (29 September 1933 – 19 October 1986) was a Mozambique, Mozambican politician and revolutionary. A Socialism, socialist in the tradition of Marxism–Leninism, he served as the first President of Mozambique from the coun ...

Avenue).

Prison system

The Rhodesia Prison Service administered more than 40 prisons.

Seal and flag

The

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...

of the Rhodesia Prison Service consists of a yellow

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...

with a red tongue and white claws, standing on a horizontal white bar. The background color of the circular emblem in which the lion stands is light green. Above the circle is the Zimbabwe Bird, of gold color and outlined in dark brown. Rising vertically through the center of the circle is a sheathed sword inlaid with silver design and with a black point. The

hilt The hilt (rarely called a haft or shaft) is the handle of a knife, dagger, sword, or bayonet, consisting of a guard, grip, and pommel. The guard may contain a crossguard or quillons. A tassel or sword knot may be attached to the guard or pomme ...

of the sword consisted of a gold guard and pommel, and a black and white grip. Curved around the edge of the interior of the circle are the words "Rhodesia Prison Service" in white color. The lines of the circle are black, there are two white circular borders: one around the lion, and another serving as the exterior border of the emblem. Below the circle, just beneath the hilt of the sword, is the red and yellow flower of the flame lily, Rhodesia's national flower. The flag of the Rhodesia Prison Service was a light green flag, of 2:1 proportions, with the RPS emblem in the center. The RPS emblem and flag were designed by Alan Simpson.

References

{{Authority control Law enforcement agencies by former country Prison Service Prison and correctional agencies 1954 establishments in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland 1954 establishments in Southern Rhodesia 1980 disestablishments in Zimbabwe Government agencies established in 1954 Government agencies disestablished in 1980 Law enforcement agencies of Zimbabwe