Prisons hands over business project to ex-convict

Botswana Prisons has adopted an offender rehabilitation and reintegration strategy to help offenders address risk factors associated with their criminal behaviour and acquire the necessary skills to live as law-abiding citizens.

The programme is aimed at preparing inmates for their release and reintegration into society.

In an interview with The Midweek Sun, spokesperson for Botswana Prisons, Oagile Kojane says the strategy will empower ex-offenders to live a meaningful and quality life with less chance of re-offending.

The strategy also includes the establishment of community social reintegration committees so that they prepare ex-offender initiatives that will assist them not to re-offend.

Thus Botswana Prison Service Commissioner, Dinah Marathe handed over a Reintegration Project consisting of a modern poultry house, 100 chicks, feeds, feeders, drinkers and medication to Baitseng Gaerole in Digawana. Gaerole completed her sentence at Gaborone Women’s Prison after successfully going through training and rehabilitation programmes. Following her release, Prison Officers in the Southern Division including Prisons Headquarters voluntarily contributed some funds to the project.

Marathe said the aim of the Botswana Prison Service is to continue collaborating with communities to ensure effective rehabilitation and reintegration of exoffenders into society.

“The donation of this kind of project to Gaerole is a clear demonstration of the Service’s commitment to the Offender Reintegration Programme,” Marathe said. She added that the rehabilitation of offenders is a challenging task, which needs a collective effort between the Prisons and communities. This was the first project to be handed over to an ex-convict.