200-capacity rehab centre on the cards
MBABANE – What if there was a way to rehabilitate would-be offenders before they land themselves in prison?
In a bid to address the rising issue of recidivism in the country, the Southern African Network of Prisoners (SANOP) and the Durban Haven Rest Halfway House from South Africa are exploring opportunities to establish a drug rehabilitation centre.
Recidivism is also used to refer to the percentage of former prisoners who are rearrested for a similar offense.
The proposed rehabilitation centre is also expected to include a feeding scheme for children. Officials from SANOP and the South African delegation recently paid a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Russell Dlamini to discuss their plans for the new rehabilitation centre.
SANOP, an organisation dedicated to the welfare of prisoners, is of the view that the rehabilitation centre is a necessity for the country. They envision it as an independent facility aimed at curbing the high rate of recidivism, a term referring to the tendency of ex-offenders to reoffend and return to prison.
Justice Mtetwa, the Chairperson of SANOP, expressed his concerns about the issue. “Recidivism is a significant problem for our country. According to our data, most of the people behind bars are repeat offenders. This situation is not only detrimental to the individuals and their families, but also burdens the government with the cost of caring for inmates who ideally should not be in prison,” Mtetwa said. He said a drug rehabilitation centre would mean less people heading back to prison.
He further explained the envisioned role of the proposed rehabilitation centre.
“The centre would serve as a means to ensure that potential offenders, particularly the youth, are given the necessary training and counseling”, he said. He added that this way, they could play a positive role in society instead of ending up behind bars.
The rehabilitation centre is expected to accommodate approximately 200 people. However, Mtetwa did not provide an immediate estimate of the funding required for the project. He emphasised that the primary goal is to provide a supportive environment for individuals at risk of reoffending, thereby reducing the rate of recidivism.
Mtetwa emphasised that the collaboration between SANOP and the Durban Haven Rest Halfway House is a significant step towards addressing the issue of recidivism in the country.
He said by providing rehabilitation services and support, the organisations aimed to help ex-offenders reintegrate into society and lead productive lives.
He also noted that another challenge that ex prisoners faced was that they were not welcomed back by society.
Mtetwa said as a result, they struggled to fit in back into society and opted to return to prison where they could at least have three meals per day.
Mtetwa then further stated that the proposed rehabilitation centre is a testament to the commitment of these organisations to create a safer and more inclusive society. He said as the plans for the project continue, he hoped that it would serve as a model for similar initiatives in other parts of the country.
The prisons network chairperson also commended existing rehabilitation centers such as Emafini Men’s Rehab Centre which he said was doing great work but there was need for another facility to accommodate more people.
Mtetwa added that the proposed rehabilitation centre would also aim at supporting the well-being of the younger generation and foster a healthier community.
Meanwhile, some of the former prisoners also expressed excitement about the idea of having a rehabilitation centre. *Jomo, who is a former inmate, said life outside prison had various challenges. He said it was very difficult especially for people who served shorter sentences because many of them were younger people who struggled to earn a living after prison because of their criminal record.