Government has pledged to continue working closely with the church in improving the welfare of inmates across the country.
Kasama District Commissioner (DC) Kelly Kashiwa said inmates need spiritual and material support to enable them to fully reform into responsible citizens.
Mr. Kashiwa said this in Kasama today during the commemoration of the International Day of Prayer and Action for inmates held at Kasama Boys Secondary School hall.
He has since challenged inmates to take advantage of various skills empowerment programmes taking in correctional facilities to acquire a trade to use after living prison.
The DC further stated that offering life skills to inmates has proved to be a success in the reformation process.
And Zambia Correctional Service Northern Province Commanding Officer Sekele Nyambe expressed happiness with the positive change of attitude among inmates in the region.
In a speech read on his behalf by his deputy, Reverend Happy Chileshe, Mr. Nyambe said the transformation of inmates is attributed to thorough training of Correctional Officers in areas such as psycho-social counseling and human rights, which has enabled them to promptly attend to the welfare of inmates while in custody.
He further disclosed that Correctional facilities in Northern Province are doing fine in agriculture production resulting in the sufficient availability of food rations for inmates.
Mr. Nyambe however, appealed to various stakeholders to continue providing support to correctional facilities in order for the inmates to fully reform into productive citizens.
Meanwhile, the inmates from Milima Correctional Facility in Kasama, who spoke through their representative Peter Chipasha, thanked government for equipping them various life skills such as carpentry, bricklaying and tailoring among others.
The inmates have since pledged to use their acquired skills to become better citizens and sustain their livelihood after leaving the correctional facility.
The commemoration of International Prayer Day and Action was held under the theme, ‘empowering of inmates is an investment in national development and public safety from a prisoner to a governor’.
