By NOXOLO DLAMINI
ZAMBIA – Correctional services officers from across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are exploring ways of transforming inmate rehabilitation from confinement into skills development and productive engagement with agriculture and other practical skills emerging as key tools for preparing inmates for life after incarceration.
The issue is being discussed at the ongoing SADC Peer-to-Peer Interaction Workshop for Officers-In-Charge in Zambia, where correctional officers are sharing experiences and approaches on how inmates can be better rehabilitated and equipped to contribute to the economy.
Speaking to lCU TV during the workshop, Assistant Commissioner Jabulani Kunene said the regional engagement provides an opportunity for participating countries to exchange ideas on improving assistance and rehabilitation programmes for inmates.
“We are sharing ideas on how to improve and assist inmates in our various countries,”Kunene said.
He said correctional institutions should provide inmates with opportunities to acquire agricultural and other practical skills that can be useful during rehabilitation and after their release.
According to Kunene, such programmes can help inmates become productive while also equipping them with skills that may enable them to participate in economic activities once they return to their communities.
The Assistant Commissioner said discussions at the workshop have been engaging, particularly around the need for correctional rehabilitation programmes to be informed by evidence and produce meaningful outcomes.
“The theme has been very engaging. We expect evidence-based rehabilitation programmes, productive engagement with our inmates and improved strategies as far as our inmates are concerned,”he said.
The workshop is therefore providing a platform for correctional authorities to examine existing approaches, share lessons from different countries and identify strategies that can strengthen inmate rehabilitation.
Agriculture is among the areas being highlighted because it can provide inmates with practical experience while supporting productive activities within correctional facilities. Other skills-based programmes can similarly prepare inmates for opportunities beyond prison.
The regional exchange comes as SADC correctional services seek to strengthen rehabilitation and reintegration approaches through shared knowledge, practical experience and innovation.
The discussions in Zambia are expected to contribute to continued efforts to develop correctional programmes that focus not only on inmates’ time in custody, but also on their ability to successfully reintegrate into society and contribute positively to their communities.
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