Botswana: The Commissioner of Prisons – Commissioner Dinah Marathe had this morning engaged in a meet and greet session with the newly appointed Botswana Prison Service National Parole Board in Gaborone. The brief session saw the Commissioner welcome in a special way the incoming Chairperson and other Board members.
On giving her welcome remarks, Commissioner Marathe said Parole is one of the early release programs which enhances the reintegration process by giving offenders the opportunity to interact with members of the community even before the completion of their sentences.
She pointed out that the Prison Service is committed to making thorough assessments of those who qualify for Parole, as well as facilitating their reconciliation process in readiness for their possible release.
Commissioner Marathe further highlighted that Parole serves as an encouragement tool towards behaviour modification for prisoners as ‘one’s desire to benefit from the programme would encourage them to make greater efforts towards their rehabilitation.
The Parole Board, as stated by the Commissioner, has a huge mandate which calls for all members to be decisive when dealing with its matters, as their decisions have a bearing on the lives of victims, prisoners, their families and, in general, public safety and security.
“𝘉𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘰𝘵𝘴𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘢. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴,” she said.
She urged the Board members to be innovative and come up with new ideas and initiatives to enhance the performance of the Board. “𝘞𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘱𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴…” she said.
On his reciprocal remarks, the incoming Board Chairperson, Hon. Justice Masilo Mathaka expressed his profound appreciation to Commissioner Dinah Marathe for a Meet and Greet Session following the appointments of the new Board members.
He said the session presents an opportunity for the Board to meet the leadership of the Ministry of Defence and Security (MDS) and Botswana Prison Service to share ideas and insights on the pertinent issues concerning the Board.
“𝘔𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘮 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳, 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥,” he said.
Hon. Justice Mathaka reiterated that the Board is tasked with the onerous task of ensuring that all individuals released on Parole would not in any manner jeopardise the safety of the nation. He, therefore, promised that they will remain resolute and committed in the execution of its mandate.
He implored other Members to be ready to serve the Board with diligence, knowing that they have to deliver quality service to Batswana bearing the recent “Mindset Change Initiative”.
Giving some remarks earlier on, the Secretary for Safety and Security in the Ministry of Defence and Security, Kago Ramokate, said the new Board comes in at a time when the Ministry of Defence and Security and its Departments are on a journey of transformation as witnessed by the recent launch of the Ministry’s Mind Set Change Strategy.
He, therefore, expressed his belief that the Board will be equal to the task.
Ramokate further assured the Board that the Ministry will continue to support it through Botswana Prison Service, so that it delivers its mandate.