SADC Corrections Chiefs Unite in Dar es Salaam to Strengthen Prison Intelligence for Regional Security
The Annual Regional Conference of Heads of Corrections, Prisons, and Penitentiary Services convened from 28–30 May 2025 in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, under the theme “Intelligence Gathering for Early Warning: The Role of Corrections/Prisons in the SADC Peace and Security Architecture.”
Bringing together Commissioners General and senior prison officials from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the conference spotlighted the growing importance of correctional intelligence in addressing evolving peace and security threats.
The event, supported by the European Union-funded ECESPA Programme, aimed to amplify the role of corrections in SADC’s peacebuilding framework.
Opening the conference, Tanzania Prison Service Commissioner General Mr. Jeremiah Yoram Katungu emphasized rehabilitation, reintegration, and behavioural transformation, while calling for deeper regional cooperation.
“Our prisons must evolve into institutions that contribute directly to peace and security,” he said.
Representing the SADC Secretariat, Prof. Kula I. Theletsane stressed that correctional facilities remain untapped sources of strategic intelligence. “They must be recognised not only as places of detention, but as hubs for crime prevention and early warning intelligence,” he said.
Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, Hon. Daniel Baran Sillo, who officially opened the conference, hailed the event’s theme as timely. He emphasized the need for inclusive rehabilitation that goes beyond prison walls, urging community involvement to reduce stigma and recidivism.
“We need sustainable reintegration systems that prepare inmates for productive lives post-release,” he said.
Key resolutions included the development of intelligence-gathering guidelines, tailored training programmes for corrections officers, and improved inter-agency intelligence-sharing systems. Delegates also reviewed progress on the Corrections/Prisons Strategic Plan (2021–2025) and proposed the establishment of an Integrated Information Management System to enhance institutional effectiveness.
