DRC Ministry of Justice and Service National plan inmate reintegration programs

prison reform socioprofessional reintegration prison-school concept detainee rehabilitation Kinshasa

The Democratic Republic of the Congo's Ministry of Justice and the Service National are exploring a partnership to improve the socioprofessional reintegration of convicted individuals. During a meeting in Kinshasa between Minister of Justice Guillaume Ngefa and Lieutenant General Jean-Pierre Kasongo Kabwik, commander of the Service National, officials discussed implementing a ‘prison-school’ model.

This initiative aims to transform detention periods into opportunities for vocational training and skill acquisition to prevent recidivism. The collaboration also seeks to address food security within penitentiary establishments by leveraging the agricultural and livestock capabilities of the Service National.

Legal frameworks will be established to determine which categories of detainees are eligible for these programs while ensuring that judicial authority is not bypassed. Technical and legal teams are tasked with developing a roadmap to define the modalities of this cooperation, which includes evaluating the success of former Makala prison inmates who have already integrated into the Service National.