Construction works on halfway houses were officially launched on Thursday, May 25, in Rwamagana District, Eastern Province.

Halfway houses serve as social reintegration centres for convicts before their release.

The initiative was adopted in order to help inmates who fail to cope with life out of jail and cause disputes in their families and communities.

The ground-breaking ceremony for the centre in Rwamagana was officiated by Minister of Interior Alfred Gasana, accompanied by Commissioner General of Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS), Juvenal Marizamunda, among other officials.

Construction of the Rwamagana facility will cost more than Rwf1 billion, and will have the capacity of hosting 2,000 male inmates and 500 female inmates. It is expected to be completed by April 2024.

Similar centres will be built in other provinces.

The centre will help inmates who are about to be released to get vocational training, and courses on entrepreneurship, conflict resolution, and management, among others.

The RCS says the halfway social reintegration centres will provide residential inmates aftercare programmes to smoothen the transition between their release from the correctional facilities and their return to living independently within the community.

Experts say the initiative is a good move that will give capacity to the beneficiaries to provide for and build their families after leaving the correctional centres.

With the use of transitional facilities, the confusion, uncertainty, and stress faced by the released offenders can be dealt with so that they can readjust to independent living.