21 Feb 2023

The Ministry of Defence and Security has no plans to assist ex-convicts find employment. 

 Answering a parliamentary question on Monday, defence and security minister, Mr Kagiso Mmusi said instead, the Botswana Prisons Service (BPS) offers vocational and other skills to in-mates to assist them gain meaningful employment upon completion of their jail term,” he said.

He also indicated that employment was not the only way to avert repeat offences by ex-convicts and as such the BPS had developed an Offender Rehabilitation and Re-Integration Strategy which offered a holistic approach to challenges they were faced with. 

“Some of the key objectives of this strategy include intensifying rehabilitation programmes to address prisoners’ offending behaviour, equipping prisoners with various skills and facilitating smooth reintegration of ex-convicts back into the society,” he said. 

MP for Nkange, Dr Never Tshabang enquired on any available plans by the ministry to help ex-convicts find employment following their release from prison to avert repeat offences. ends