Malanje — The acting provincial delegate of the Ministry of Interior (MININT), João da Silva, pointed out on Monday the training of prison rehabilitation operators as the priority action of the agency, aiming at improving the re-education process in prisons.

The official took this challenge during the provincial act allusive to the 44th anniversary of the Penitentiary Service, which is marked today, noting that the current context requires more preparation of the staff, to stop practices less favourable within the penal population and to guide the rehabilitation for the proper reintegration of prisoners after serving their sentences.

He also stressed the improvement of accommodation conditions in prisons, taking into account that many of them are inadequate to the number of prisoners, in addition to medical assistance and medication.

Another investment goes onto increasing agricultural production in prisons, considering that the Prison Service has favourable conditions to stand out in this segment and contribute to the improvement of inmates' diet and the commercialization of the surplus, to ensure the maintenance of the production cycle.

Despite the challenges listed, the responsible highlighted the efforts that have been undertaken by the Provincial Delegation of the Ministry of Interior in order to improve the working conditions of the Prison Service.

The Penitentiary Service was created in 1979, after being disconnected from the Ministry of Justice to be part of the Ministry of the Interior.

Its mission is to execute measures that deprive citizens of their freedom, as determined by the judicial authorities, as well as to apply policies of rehabilitation and social reintegration of prisoners, to supervise and enforce preventive detention, and the terms of probation.

The Provincial Directorate of the Penitentiary Service currently controls 1, 453 prisoners (475 detainees and 978 convicts) distributed between the penitentiary establishments of Damba, Malanje and the female one of Cacuso.