GOVERNMENT says that more than 7,300 inmates have graduated with TEVETA- accredited certificates since 2021, while 77 cooperatives formed by former inmates have been registered and supported through the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises.
The development is part of broader reforms aimed at transforming Zambia Correctional Service (ZCS) into a modern institution focused on rehabilitation, skills development and reintegration.
Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Jack Mwiimbu said the achievements reflect a correctional system that is shifting away from punitive colonial era practices towards a model anchored on human dignity and human development.
Speaking during the 2025 ZCS Annual Ball held on Friday, Mr Mwiimbu commended the service for what he described as one of the most significant institutional transformations in the country’s history.
He said ZCS has positioned itself as a key contributor to national development through education, skills training, counselling, spiritual support and restorative justice programmes.
These initiatives, he said, have helped reframe young offenders not as “society’s lost cause” but as “society’s next opportunity”.
Mr Mwiimbu highlighted ZCS’s involvement in major government projects, including the construction of 81 modern chiefs’ palaces across seven provinces.
All the facilities are expected to be completed and handed over by April 2026.
Source: Zambia Daily Mail