Zambia Correctional Service Commissioner General, Chisela Chileshe says government remains committed to ensuring that incarcerated members of the public are reformed and equipped with various survival skills, as they leave the correctional facilities.
Addressing inmates during his tour of Chaola Open Prison in Rufunsa district yesterday, Dr. Chileshe said government is devoted to ensuring that Correctional Centres reform the inmates and introduce them to different skills such as farming, carpentry, and tailoring among other survival skills.
He noted that the authority changed the name from prisons to correctional service centres in order to make it easier to reform wrong doers or offenders of the law, into good citizens through introducing them to different skills that will enable them contribute positively to national development.
“Government is also aware of the many challenges that the Correctional Service Facilities are faced with such as transport, and uniforms among others which government is already working on, to improve the skills training in the facilities.” Dr. Chileshe said.
He further told the inmates that government is already working on a mechanism to link them into society once they are released from the correctional facilities.
He called on the inmates to take advantage of the skills they are being taught, in order for them to better their lives once they are linked to stakeholders who require their skills.
And Rufunsa District Commissioner, Judith Chama has commended government for putting up a correctional centre in the area, adding that the skills being imparted in the inmates are contributing positively, to the food security in the district.
Speaking when the Commissioner General paid a courtesy call on her at the District Administration offices, Mrs Chama said the opening up of a correctional centre in the district has improved the food security in the area.
“During the 2019/2020 farming season, the correctional service produced more maize than majority of the people in the area which was sold to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).” Said the DC.
“I am glad to mention that the agricultural activities happening at Chaola Open Prison have contributed positively to the food basket in the district,” she added.
The District Commissioner however appealed to the Zambia Correctional Service to take advantage of the connection of the district to the National Electricity Grid by connecting electricity to the Correctional facility, in order to boost training skills and production.
Mrs. Chama told the Commissioner General and his entourage that people in the District were grateful for the developmental activities initiated, noting that the area has now become a good investment base for would be stakeholders.
She called on line ministries and other stakeholders to take advantage of these developments enhanced by government by investing in the rich farming environment.
Chaola Open Prison in Rufunsa District was established in the late 2017 by government in its continued efforts to decongest other Correctional service facilities across the country.
We are doing a great job. I would rather we accommodated zambian convicts back into our society than those evil upnd diasporans who are traitors. Why you think I fought to ensure that prisoners can vote and not diasporans? Think about it