PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has commended the Tanzania Prisons Service for fostering skills for prisoners, and ensuring they are recognized by the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA).

He made these remarks when officiating at a ceremony to mark the 64 years of the Tanzania Prisons Service at the department’s correctional training facility in Ukonga, on the outskirts of the commercial capital, noting that these skills enable them to restart productive life after completing their sentences.

He said that more than 5,000 inmates have benefited from the new vocational and technical training curriculum, such that many former prisoners have since found jobs or successfully initiated small businesses with the skills acquired in prison.

“I sincerely congratulate the Prisons Service for these achievements. This is part of your strategic plan, and we have seen the results. The young men and women who have come here today have explained how they have benefited from these programs,” the premier intoned.

The reforms are vital in giving inmates a second chance and reducing the risk of them returning to crime, he said, while Jumanne Sagini, the Constitution and Legal Affairs deputy minister, also hailed prison administrators.

He said they had swiftly implemented government directives and recommendations from top national leaders even without direct financial support for the specific project, registering progress in addressing proposals by the Presidential Commission on Justice Sector Reforms, particularly in strengthening rehabilitation programmes.

“The skills inmates gain are crucial in preparing them for lawful income-generating activities once they return to society, thereby reducing the pressure for relapsing into crime,” he declared.

CGP Jeremiah Katungu, head of the service, said that the department has designed 10 new curricula aimed at improving training for prison officers and rehabilitation programmes for inmates.

The curricula were developed in collaboration with the Institute of Social Work, the National Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NACTVET), the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) and the Institute of Adult Education (IAE), he stated.

“We have also developed an inmate rehabilitation programme guide which establishes clear principles and procedures for admission, assessment, rehabilitation and preparing inmates to reintegrate into society as responsible citizens,” he elaborated.

The 64th anniversary celebrations brought together prison cadres, government officials and other stakeholders, showcasing the role of correctional services in national development through skills-building and rehabilitation, he added.