Marathe stated that the BPS has been left behind compared to other countries globally such as in neighbouring country South Africa.
She highlighted that they took it upon themselves to see it through that the BPS does traverse with times and become up to date with modern times. “In order to keep up with times, we are currently in the process of reviewing our Act, and in this review of our Act we will change from being the Botswana Prisons Service but to the Botswana Correctional Services (BCS),” said the Commissioner with a smile. Marathe, who was seemingly impressed by the rebranding process of the service, stated that the disciplined force expects to have wrapped up the development before April next year.
In their quest to continue rebranding BPS to BCS, the Commissioner further revealed that her charges would be launching ‘Offender Rehabilitating and Reintegration Programme’. “We will be launching a national reintegration programme on August 28 this year at Royal Aria. We believe this reintegration programme will help us to move from the old prison to correctional service as this will help ex offenders greatly with their lives after their sentence,” she expressed. Commissioner Marathe explained that BPS has done what it can to assist the offenders while they are behind bars, so it is high time the community chips in.
“This is a community-based project. We have done our best to rehabilitate the offenders while they are in prison and we are now appealing to the society to allow the ex offenders back in the society,” Marathe said. Marathe implored the civilians to not fear the ex offenders but rather implored the civilians to treat the ex offenders like any other citizens as they have served their sentence. With the new reintegration programme, the Commissioner stated that prisons will move from releasing ex offenders and leaving them at their prison gates but rather, they would go to great lengths of linking them with their families. “We are pleading with parents to please take back your children when they are from prison and we will see it through that after the ex offenders have served their sentence, it will be us taking them to their homes so that they reconcile with their family,” she said.
Furthermore the Commissioner stated that organisations should make it their mandate to at least absorb some of the ex offenders in their entities by hiring them so that they do earn some income. “We want these ex offenders to work after they complete their sentences and these people are really qualified as we have trained them, so do give them jobs,” Marathe said. On other matters, Commissioner Marathe further highlighted that her force continues to see it through that prisoners are not abused nor treated harshly. “We have directed all our stakeholders to stop administering corporal punishment to prisoners and we have also directed our officers not to deprive the prisoners their food as a form of punishment,” she said. She, however, stated that solitary confinement punishment still remains. Meanwhile the Commissioner stated that they would soon launch a programme that will help with visits for inmates. “We are coming up with a programme of video visitation which is to help families from afar that cannot visit their families to be able to see their families behind bars virtually,” she revealed.
