Government says it is looking into introducing empowerment reforms that will ensure that former inmates are accorded the chance to be employed in both the private and public sector.
Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Chileshe Mulenga says government has currently partnered with the Egyptian government in a joint project, to train inmates in correctional facilities, in productive skills.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, Dr. Mulenga noted that the Zambia-Egypt Joint Project is an active effort, aimed at ensuring that former inmates who have performed very well in the skills development programmes, stand a chance of finding stable jobs, once they leave the correctional facilities.
Dr. Mulenga revealed that some farmers have gone ahead and hired former inmates who were trained under the Egypt joint venture farm project.
“We need to change the rules, formalize and encourage government as well as various stakeholders to employ former inmates once they have been rehabilitated and declared fit to return to society,” said Mr Mulenga.
He further explained that the reason why the perception was changed from prisons to correctional facilities, was aimed at showing that the aim for conviction was not just punishment but rehabilitation, so that inmates can be fit to return to society as productive law abiding citizens.
“Former inmates can only be productive if they can be employed, that’s why in correctional facilities they are given new skills so that when they get out they can find some productive employment either by self-employment or the private sector and as we go forward, even by the public sector,” he said.
And Mr Chileshe has also encouraged the Zambian people to kindness and render help to those being re-integrated into society.
Although making a start will be difficult, this is progressive. If chances of re-offending are to reduce, we probably hv no choice but to support this move by government.
Good plan, wrong government to implement such. As usual with most PF pronouncements this will go nowhere.
Look Dudelove, we live in a money economy and everyone needs a way to earn some money to survive regardless of which political party is in government. That’s just the way it is.
Dudelove is right, this is a very dysfunctional government the plan though good might not be fully supported especially when there are no kickbacks for these politicians
But we have people on the streets that are still unemployed. Confusing.
The policy is about allowing ex-convicts to be eligible for employment in the public sector if they hv the skills required for job. It’s not about creating jobs specifically for ex-convicts. At present, they cannot even apply even if they have the skills.
Dr Chileshe Mulenga looks like an ex- convict.
Why this flippancy on a serious issue?
Nemwine
With the frustrations we are going through a little humour can do us good,Abena Ngumbo 6 out of 10 kikikiki
What about people on the streets who have never been to prison? How about unemployed university and college graduates?
Another stupidly impulsive and dangerous move by these people. A criminal is a criminal and most will reoffend.
Wht about the criminals u elect to office? Who steals the money reported yearly by the auditor general? There are already thieves working in the public sector.