The role of adult education in the integration of inmates into society after a jail term: practical experiences from Swaziland

Prisons play a significant role in contributing to the lifelong learning needs of their inmates who often have limited formal education and skills. The main function of correctional centres, among others, is the secure containment of inmates committed to their custody, and provision of skills and training in an effort to help them integrate more effectively into society after discharge. While the correctional centres perform training and other initiatives in an effort to make inmates better individuals, the Department of Adult Education at the University of Swaziland, as one of its mandates reaches out and conducts training programmes to correctional service staff but more specifically to inmates. This paper provides a case study of the Department's adult education programmes, which were offered to enhance the learning provision of the correctional services. Furthermore, it will highlight shortcomings and make suggestions on how to improve the provision of adult education programmes for inmates. The paper gives an outline of the Swaziland context, the Department of Correctional Services in Swaziland, the problem of recidivism for inmates, and the work done by the Department of Adult Education. Finally recommendations and conclusions are offered.