Mohale FM Chief of Correctional Services, Mr Matingoe Phamotse, spoke about the conditions under which correctional services staff operate during a celebration held in Botha-Bothe on Friday.
Phamotse said prison conditions in Lesotho are poor, noting that correctional officers work under the same difficult circumstances as the inmates. He added that despite the critical role played by correctional staff in rehabilitating offenders, their work is often undervalued by the public.
Senior Assistant Commissioner Kabo Moeno highlighted the importance of continuous self-assessment among correctional officers to identify challenges and find practical solutions. He urged officers to remain dedicated despite the daily difficulties they face.
Moeno also stressed the need for courts to make greater use of community service sentences to reduce overcrowding. He noted that some prisons are operating at three to four times their intended capacity, creating serious challenges for staff.
He warned that overcrowding contributes to the spread of communicable diseases within prisons, which can later affect communities when inmates are released, thereby perpetuating a cycle of infection.
