Role of vocational education and training in community re-entry and social re-integration of ex-inmates: a case study of ex-inmates in the Kabwe district of Zambia.
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Date
2021
Authors
Mwanza, Tobius
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
There are more than 10.35 million people incarcerated throughout the world. According to the International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS) world prison population list (2015) the United States of America (USA) has the highest prison population rate in the world; 716 per 100,000 of its national population. In Africa the median rate for western African countries is 46 whereas for southern African countries is 205. Zambia is one of the countries in southern Africa with an ever-increasing inmate population that now stand at 21,000 against its holding capacity of 9,000. Nonetheless, the causes of crime and consequent incarceration are complex and among them; poverty, parental neglect, low self-esteem, alcohol and drug abuse, joblessness, these and others can be connected to why people commit crime. However, some people are at greater risk of becoming offenders due to the social environment into which they are born and are brought-up. Studies have shown that the standard specification in the USA show that 1.0 percentage point increases in unemployment can increase property crime by around 1.1 to 1.8 percent (ICPS. 2015). The study that was conducted to investigate the effects of unemployment on the rate of crime in South Africa in Kwa-Zulu Natal Province revealed that unemployment is to be considered as a root cause of many problems that South Africa is facing today such as crime, poverty and suicide. Crime in particular, acts as a symptom of deeper socio-political issues in South Africa (Tshabalala N.G. 2014). In Zambia the youth represent 60% of the total employable age yet most of them are not
employed instead they are involved in crime, prostitution, drug abuse, alcohol abuse and other illicit activities (ILO, 2017). It is however, a global practice that in many penal jurisdictions offenders are usually offered some sort of vocational training during their period of detention. This paper intends to look at the role of vocational education and training in community reentry and social re-integration of ex-inmates in the Kabwe District of Zambia.
Description
Thesis of Master of Science in Counseling.