Martin Endjala
Female offenders incarcerated in the Windhoek Correctional Facility (WCF) received emotional support in the form of daily communication with loved ones.
Commissioner Leonard Mahundu, the central regional commander of the Namibia Correctional Service (NCS), made this announcement last week.
This comes after the NCS, in collaboration with Telio Communications Namibia, launched a communication system last week.
The system aims to ensure that inmates maintain communication with their families and friends while incarcerated.
“Telio communication systems will allow inmates to maintain essential connections with their families and friends. These relationships provide crucial emotional support, helping inmates preserve a sense of identity and belonging, hence fostering emotional stability,” he said.
Mahundu said the initiative further reduced recidivism, aiding inmates in their successful reintegration into society.
He stated that regular calls with loved ones reduce feelings of isolation, anxiety, and depression.
He said the ongoing support network is vital for maintaining excellent mental health and leading to good behaviour.
According to him, continuous communication with family and friends fosters hope and motivation, as it encourages inmates to engage actively in their rehabilitation and positively focus on the future.
Mahundu claims that the WCF’s implementation of Telio system communication is a result of teamwork.
“The system will further allow inmates to communicate with their legal representative.
Ensuring that inmates effectively manage their legal matters and receive appropriate support can lead to fair treatment and better outcomes in legal proceedings,” said.
He assured that phone calls are monitored to detect any suspected irregularities.
The WCF Assistant Commissioner and Officer in Charge, Julia Nauvinga, said a big burden has been lifted off their shoulders.
The correctional facility faces the challenge of providing inmates with adequate telecommunication services.
She said this was mainly due to a lack of resources, such as sufficient airtime and telephones.
“Inmates were struggling to fully utilise the phone call privileges accorded to them to communicate with their families, which, as you can imagine, created a lot of distress not only for the inmate but also for the officers,’ she said.
She said that with the initiative, inmates are free to communicate with their loved ones anytime.
