Rehabilitation programs in the Botswana prisons and their effectiveness in reintegrating offenders and curbing recidivism: A qualitative situational analysis of the lived experiences of ex-prisoners.

ICPA2024 Presentation by Kebonyengwana Mashaka and Sibisiso Robert (ICPA2024-PID122)

Authors

Kebonyengwana Mashaka

Lecturer, University of Botswana

Kebonyengwana, T. O. Mashaka is a Lecturer of Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies in the Department of Sociology at the University of Botswana. She has a MA Criminology from the Middlesex University of London. Her interest in corrections and prison policies date back to her graduate life where she completed a dissertation titled “Race relations policy in prisons: How the implementation gap aggravates pains of imprisonment for ethnic minority inmates”. She proceeded to present several conference papers among others “The penal crisis in Botswana and its implications for the maintenance of order and humane treatment of prisoners” at the British Society of Criminology Conference in July 2008. In addition to teaching courses on penology, rehabilitation, and restorative justice, Mashaka is currently a Board member of the Botswana Institute of Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Offender (BIRRO), a nonprofit civil society association for ex-prisoners determined to foster reintegration and proactive crime prevention among communities, particularly the youth.

Sibisiso Robert

Trainee Police Officer, Botswana Police Service

Sibusiso Robert holds an undergraduate degree in criminal justice studies from the University of Botswana. She is currently undergoing training in preparation for the professional cadre of the Botswana Police Service. Driven by a profound sense of duty and seeking to challenge the status quo from an informed position, Robert undertook her undergraduate research to explore the intricate challenges faced by individuals transitioning from incarceration back into the mainstream society. The in-depth interviews she conducted shed light on the often-overlooked journey of reintegration, unveiling the realities of stigmatization and the pivotal foundation that rehabilitation programs must lay for such. It is hoped that the findings of this groundbreaking dissertation would mark the first steps in the national drive toward evidence-based policies the government of Botswana has vowed to embark on.

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