In 1996 in Kampala, representatives from 40 African countries met to discuss prison conditions on the continent. They all signed up to the Kampala Declaration, which sets out a specific prison and sentencing reform agenda and recommends a number of alternative sentencing measures. The lead in developing alternatives to prison in the African context has been taken by Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Community Service Scheme. Under the Scheme the judiciary has a major role that extends well beyond the sentencing function. The Scheme is managed by the National Committee, which brings together representatives of the police, the prison service, the Attorney General’s office, and other bodies whose support is considered vital to the Scheme’s function. The Committee also keeps the public informed and involved, and generates and maintains public support. The lessons from Africa are in tune with a new wave of penal thinking in several Western countries that emphasizes restitution, reconciliation, and restoring social harmony. Notes, references