Reimagining Offender Reintegration in Zimbabwe: A Longitudinal Peer-Led Desistance Model Leveraging Lived Experiences and Cross Sector Partnerships (PID091)

1pm – 1.30pm GMT, 27 October 2026 ‐ 30 mins

Room: Meeting Room 3A (Level 3)

Parallel Workshops

This presentation introduces a peer-led desistance support model co- developed by Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS), a civic organization called Pathways to Reintegration Foundation (PAREF), and the University of Zimbabwe (UZ).It examines its theoretical foundations and implementation dynamics within Zimbabwe's context. The model is grounded in desistance theory (Maruna, 2001; Farrall & Calverley, 2006), strength-based practice (Saleebey, 2006), and the Risk-Need-Responsivity model (Andrews & Bonta, 2010).It operates across three sequenced phases: comprehensive needs assessment, pre-release mentorship training, and structured post-release after-care. Its defining innovation is a nested, generative longitudinal design in which graduates are inducted as peer mentors for subsequent in-custody cohorts. This operationalizes the progressive identity transformation inmates. The paper presents implementation findings, an outcome evaluation framework, and a transferable reintegration model for comparable correctional systems in other jurisdictions.

Speakers

Ison Ndoro MSc

Forensic Psychologist, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service, Zimbabwe

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Patricia Shumba Mavhembo M.A

Commissioner- Legal Services and Corporate Affairs, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service, Zimbabwe

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Ison Ndoro MSc

Forensic Psychologist, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service, Zimbabwe

Mr. Ison Ndoro is a Licensed Forensic Psychologist registered with the Allied Health Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe (AHPCZ) and a member of the American Psychological Association (APA). He currently serves as the acting Staff Officer for Rehabilitation and Reintegration within the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) .Ndoro is also an Adjunct Lecturer in Correctional Psychology at the University of Zimbabwe. He holds a Master of Science in Forensic Psychology and Victimology (Distinction), a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science Special Honors in Psychology, a Postgraduate Diploma in Development studies, and a Diploma in Education. He is currently a PhD candidate in Criminology and Forensic Science at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, with  research focus on relapse prevention among individuals with Substance Use Disorders (SUD).

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Patricia Shumba Mavhembo M.A

Commissioner- Legal Services and Corporate Affairs, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service, Zimbabwe

Ms. Patricia Shumba Mavhembu is a Commissioner responsible for Legal Services and Corporate Affairs with the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS). She provides legal advisory support, coordinates human rights training and leads law and policy reform among other initiatives within the correctional system.  Commissioner Mavhembu holds a Bachelor of Laws Honors Degree with the University of Zimbabwe, Master’s in Women’s Law from the Southern and Eastern African Regional Centre for Women’s Law (SEARCWL), University of Zimbabwe and a Master’s in Constitutional and Human Rights Law from Midlands State University. She is an experienced legal practitioner specialising in corrections law, human rights, criminal law, and women’s rights research. With over 15 years of service in corrections, including deployment with the United Nations, she demonstrates a strong commitment to justice, gender equality, and collaborative advancement of rights based correctional practices.