However during 2008 there was high level of documentation in terms of producing sound reports, project proposals, concept papers, human rights programming, presentations and general level of communications in and outside the organization while everything seemed to have been normalizing by time of compiling this 2008 annual report. The remaining major event was the Annual General Meeting set for end of November 2008. Other key areas which improved involved cultivation of team building and spirit among secretariat staff, creating strategic links, marketing ZACRO, program management and development, capacity assessment and staff development. Some organizational policies which were not in place were also formulated and were waiting to be effected by the organization once they are adopted by the general assembly, the board and the management committee. After holding a secretariat strategic planning workshop in June 2008 in Harare, the ZACRPO secretariat staff became more organized and focused on carrying out their programs and activities. This was after they formulated most suitable action plans which were in line with the consolidated broad strategic plan for the organization whose target performance period is year 2010 though shortage of resources, funds in particular threatened to halt progress when programming during the period under review. ……………………………………………………………… Situational Analysis of Zimbabwean Prisons. As well documented in this annual report it is vital to acknowledge the situational analysis of Zimbabwean prisons before acquainted with the ZACRO programming and interventions during 2008. Important to note was that prisons continued to remain as secretive and closed institutions to majority people yet real experiences in the prisons revealed numerous issues around plight of inmates which demanded intervention by ZACRO. This was in the wake that conditions of prisons deteriorated drastically while political will was not responding to the challenges facing Zimbabwe’s prisons. Findings revealed that with a capacity around 17 000, the country’s 55 prisons including satellites were overcrowded which was one of the major challenges facing prisons during the period under review. Other problems affecting the penal institutions included unhygienic conditions, lack of proper food, medical facilities and care, spread of diseases – in particular HIV Aids and opportunistic diseases such as Tuberculosis (TB). In fact food and clothing constituted a massive humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwean prisons. Meanwhile ZACRO supported imprisonment for the benefit of society through correctional means with emphasis placed on rehabilitation, integration, restoration, provision of humanitarian assistance to the inmates and ex-offenders while advocating for liberal penal reforms involving positive human rights 9