Over 4,000 prisoners crowded as prisons call for reforms
Mpho Mokwape | Wednesday September 17, 2025 06:32
At a consultative forum held yesterday under the theme 'Reimaging Custodial Care and Correctional Services', the prison service officials outlined the need to modernise prison laws to align with international standards and support the effective reintegration of offenders into society.
The Pitso brought together government officials, legal experts, civil society organisations, and human rights advocates to discuss legislative reform that would align the country’s custodial system with international human rights standards and rehabilitative principles.
In his remarks, Commissioner of Prisons Anthony Mokento outlined several challenges currently undermining the effectiveness of correctional services.
'These challenges make it difficult for us to deliver on our mandate of reforming inmates and preparing them for reintegration,' he said. 'We are dealing with outdated legislation that does not reflect the realities we face in correctional facilities today.'
He explained that there was a need for legislative overhaul to keep up with the times and standards of correctional laws across, keeping in mind the international requirement of custodial care and humane treatment in the country.
Mokento said the overhaul will make their mandate clear and address challenges currently making it impossible to have purpose-focused rehabilitation of inmates.
On one of the challenges faced by the correctional service, he said the country has, at the moment, over 4,000 prisoners in custody, resulting in overcrowding.
As overcrowding, the smuggling of contraband in prison, and the strain these issues place on rehabilitation efforts remained amongst key concerns raised by the Botswana Prison Service, Deputy Commissioner of Prisons Keneilwe Mokwenaotsile said overcrowding and the persistent inflow of contraband within prison facilities hinder efforts to rehabilitate inmates and maintain institutional security.
“These challenges compromise our ability to deliver correctional programmes that are geared towards rehabilitation, personal development, and eventual reintegration into society,” she said.
Mokwenaotsile, who is in charge of rehabilitation and reintegration at prisons, explained that the forum should be marked as the beginning of a wider national dialogue on modernising the country’s custodial framework.
She highlighted the need to move away from a punitive model of incarceration towards one that prioritises humane treatment, vocational training, and psychosocial support for inmates.
The deputy commissioner noted that whilst the current legal framework has served its purpose over the years, it is no longer sufficient to address emerging challenges or reflect the country’s commitments under international law.
“This Pitso is not just a meeting, but a foundational step towards developing a correctional system that is just, humane, and effective. We are reimagining custodial care in a way that promotes rehabilitation over retribution,” she said.
Meanwhile, the forum discussed a variety of issues affecting the correctional system, including the absence of non-custodial sentencing alternatives, limited mental health services, outdated infrastructure, and the lack of formal mechanisms for parole or early release.
There was strong support for legislative reforms that would institutionalise rehabilitation as a core objective of imprisonment.
Suggestions included implementing structured vocational training, educational opportunities within prisons, and post-release reintegration support. Civil society organisations in attendance also called for greater transparency and oversight of correctional facilities, some advocating for compliance with human rights standards and addressing concerns raised by inmates and their families.
In closing, the forum also highlighted the importance of gender-sensitive custodial practices and the specific needs of vulnerable groups, including female inmates, juveniles, and persons with disabilities.