Expanding Psychosocial Support Across Botswana’s Correctional System
Boitekanelo College has entered into a five-year partnership with the Botswana Prison Service (BPS) to strengthen mental health, psychosocial support, rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates across Botswana’s correctional facilities.
The partnership brings together Boitekanelo College’s academic, clinical and research expertise with BPS’s experience and reach within the correctional system. It is designed to translate into practical interventions that address the health, mental wellbeing and rehabilitation needs of inmates, while also strengthening the capacity and wellbeing of correctional personnel.
KEY AREAS OF PARTNERSHIP
The collaboration will support counselling, trauma debriefing, pre-release counselling, case management and cognitive behavioural therapy, alongside health screenings and health education. Wellness support for correctional personnel will also form part of the collaboration, recognising the importance of supporting those working within demanding correctional environments.
The partnership will further provide specialised training for BPS psychosocial personnel, including opportunities for professional development and certified training. Boitekanelo College students will also have opportunities for structured placements within correctional settings, allowing them to apply their knowledge in real-world environments while gaining exposure to correctional healthcare and rehabilitation.
Boitekanelo College Provost and Founder, Dr Tiro Mampane, said the partnership will draw on the College’s expertise in psychosocial services, occupational therapy and return-to-work support.
“Our Master’s and postgraduate programmes present an opportunity to further upskill and build the professional capacity of personnel within the Botswana Prison Service, particularly in these areas,” he said.
Dr Mampane said the College’s research capacity would also be an important component of the partnership, with joint research expected to generate evidence that can strengthen correctional practice and contribute to policy development. He added that the collaboration would benefit Boitekanelo College students and staff through practical exposure, professional engagement and opportunities to contribute to rehabilitation-focused work.
For BPS, Commissioner Anthony Mokento said the partnership comes at a momentous time as they work towards transitioning to a correctional service, with rehabilitation at the centre of this shift.
“One of our key assignments is to ensure that a person does not return in the form and character that he was at the time of conviction,” he said. “That person can only be changed if given adequate character-moulding treatment.”
Commissioner Mokento highlighted Boitekanelo College’s School of Rehabilitation Sciences as particularly relevant to this transition, given the growing emphasis on rehabilitation, professional intervention and preparing inmates for life beyond incarceration.
The partnership will also support restorative justice initiatives and post-release psychosocial referral pathways, helping strengthen continuity of care and support as individuals transition back into their communities. By connecting rehabilitation within correctional facilities with support after release, the collaboration seeks to contribute to more effective reintegration.
Through the five-year partnership, Boitekanelo College and BPS will combine academic, clinical, correctional and research expertise to strengthen psychosocial services, build professional capacity, support student learning and advance rehabilitation and reintegration outcomes across Botswana.