Zambia’s Commissioner General Fredrick S.S. Chilukutu has urged correctional leaders in the SADC region to transform correctional institutions into centres of rehabilitation, productivity, skills development and community resilience.
Chilukutu made the call when closing the 2026 SADC Officers-in-Charge Peer-to-Peer Interaction Workshop in Lusaka.
He said correctional institutions must evolve beyond their traditional custodial mandate. 
He called upon Officers-in-Charge to deliberately harness the potential of correctional facilities through agriculture, technology, vocational skills, mental health programmes and economic empowerment.
Chilukutu said meaningful rehabilitation cannot end at the prison gate. It must equip inmates with knowledge, confidence and practical capabilities to rebuild their lives and contribute positively to society.
“A journey of a hundred hectares starts with a lima,” he said, challenging correctional institutions to utilise every available opportunity, however small, to advance agricultural production, food security and self-reliance.
He said a resilient correctional system is one that does more than secure and rehabilitate inmates. It must restore dignity, develop human potential and prepare offenders for productive reintegration into their communities.
He said correctional agriculture and skills development should not be viewed as mere institutional activities, but as strategic instruments for rehabilitation and sustainable development.
The workshop was held under the theme ‘Transforming Correctional Systems for Sustainable Development: Promoting Agriculture, Rehabilitation, Economic Empowerment, and Community Resilience across the SADC Region.’
It brought together 110 delegates from seven SADC Member States. Heads of Delegation from Angola, Eswatini, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe attended the workshop.
They expressed appreciation to Zambia for creating a platform where correctional leaders could exchange experiences, interrogate common challenges and explore practical solutions to strengthen correctional administration.
Chilukutu said agriculture remains a key area where correctional services can contribute to both rehabilitation and national food security.
He said the use of prison land for crop production and other agricultural activities can enhance self-reliance within correctional institutions while equipping inmates with farming skills for use after release.
He said vocational skills development is equally important in preparing inmates for reintegration. He said training in trades and technology provides inmates with alternative livelihoods and reduces the likelihood of reoffending.
He said mental health programmes must also be prioritised to address the psychosocial needs of inmates.
He said economic empowerment should be linked directly to rehabilitation to ensure inmates are able to support themselves upon release.
According to Chilukutu, correctional services should be measured not only by security, but by how effectively they transform lives.
The workshop provided an opportunity for SADC correctional leaders to share best practices and lessons learnt.
Delegates discussed common challenges facing correctional systems, including resource constraints and the need to balance security with rehabilitation.
They also explored practical solutions capable of strengthening correctional administration across the region.
The workshop underscored the value of regional solidarity in advancing correctional reforms.
Chilukutu said transforming correctional systems is essential for sustainable development.
He said correctional services have a role to play in contributing to broader national and regional development goals.
He said when correctional facilities are productive, they contribute to safer communities.
The gathering reinforced the message that corrections can become incubators of skills, productivity, dignity and hope.
It was noted that productive correctional institutions contribute not only to safer communities, but to the broader development of the SADC region.
The 2026 SADC Officers-in-Charge Peer-to-Peer Interaction Workshop was hosted by the Zambia Correctional Service in Lusaka.
The workshop concluded with a call for SADC Member States to continue collaborating and implementing practical measures that promote rehabilitation, economic empowerment and community resilience.
