After pleading guilty of defilement in 2002, Ernst Kaitare, 33, was sentenced to 10 years at Nyarugenge Correctional facility. With tears running down his cheeks, Kaitare felt completely devastated and ‘buried’ all his dreams after the verdict was read to him. It seemed like his life had come to a stop. But regardless of what he thought or did at the moment, Kaitare had no option but to be led to his new home for the next 120 months.

Life in prison

On reaching the ‘university of understanding’ as many people call it, Kaitare who had been a secondary school student at the time found it hard to adjust to the new life at the beginning. He could no longer move around freely or enjoy many of the privileges he had been accustomed to before. However just after a few days, the 21-year-old discovered that not all was lost. At least there was some kind of education in the facility which he could benefit from and rekindle his dreams. Kaitare then enrolled for a course in mechanics which he gave his all.  

"We first studied theory in class and later switched to practicals in the prison garage,” Kaitare reveals.

When The New Times caught up with the former inmate last week, Kaitare was busy fixing people’s cars at his Respect Engineering Garage in Gatsata courtesy of the skills he acquired from Nyarugenge Correctional Facility.

Life after prison

After leaving the correctional facility in 2012, a reformed Kaitare now had to figure out how to survive in the competitive world. The first idea that struck his mind was starting a business related to skills he had acquired in Nyarugenge. But ideas were not enough to pursue his dream. He lacked capital, an important ingredient for any business, but luckily had confidence and self belief which he put to good use.

Equipped with these qualities, Kaitare approached Peace Engineering garage in Gatsata for an opportunity to work with them but was asked to pay Rwf200,000 as membership fee before he could be given a chance.

"This sounded like the whole world to me because I hardly had any money since I had just left the correctional facility,” Kaitare reveals.

"But since they knew where I was coming from, the management of the garage agreed that I pay the money in installments,” he adds with a smile.

Having learnt how to work hard and fast while still serving his sentence, Kaitare carried this spirit to his workplace and it did not take him long to catch the eye of many clients. This resulted into a big clientele which Kaitare would use to start his own Respect garage in May 2013, just one year after walking to freedom. 

"I had always envisaged being self employed and worked towards achieving my goal. I skipped a lot of luxuries so that I could save some money to do the business and I’m glad it has paid off,” Kaitare says, adding that he started with capital of Rwf1.5m.

About 19 months after he went solo, Kaitare who pays Rwf150,000 for rent every month, says he employs 8 people and makes a profit of Rwf400,000 monthly. He has also managed to buy a car and is married with one child.

Kaitare, however, has a much bigger dream than that. Besides working to expand the garage, he trains some young people at his garage as a way of imparting knowledge and change in the society.

Life inside correctional facilities

Augustine Twambajimana, the Rwanda Correctional Services registrar, says: "More than 53,000 inmates are enrolled for either formal or informal education in 13 correctional facilities. The figure also includes some from the rehabilitation centre of Nyagatare.”

He says when convicts join a correctional facility; they are exposed to a number of courses such as handcraft, tailoring, carpentry, weaving and hair dressing, engineering and electronics among others. It is from these courses that one is allowed to choose which path they want to take. Twambajimana, however, notes that although they encourage inmates to study, no one is forced into class.

"Learning is voluntary but after completion of the course, only active inmates are awarded diplomas and certificates of prisons. But negotiations are underway with the Ministry of Education to see to it that the successful students can be given Rwanda Education Board (REB) certificates,” Twambajimana stresses. "In fact students could easily be eligible to sit national exams by the end of next year.”

Besides classwork, the inmates engage in activities such as construction, farming, and plumbing among others. And for their contribution, the inmates receive 10% of the total amount of money that is supposed to be paid for that job.

Asked how they spend this money, Twambajimana explains: "They are free to send this money to their families or keep it till they have served their sentence.”

Experts speak out

John Mutezintare, the head of Career Guidance at REB, commends the policy on educating inmates.

"They are part of the community and it is very important to keep them busy even when they are in prison,” says Mutezintare. "Education in these facilities equips them with a number of skills into these people’s lives and with this upon return; they can fit in the society.”

He says education in prisons like any other place is a source of productivity and should be maintained.

"We have seen many great carpenters and engineers who studied those disciplines in the correctional facilities and in the end contribute positively to society,” Mutezintare says.

John Rwema, a teacher at Essa Nyarugunga, believes that if people are taught life skills early enough, it can reduce the number of people going to prison.

"If correctional facilities have few convicts, the government expenditure on inmates would eventually go down,” he says.

Although Rwema believes that people learn a lot of skills that they can transform into big entrepreneurship firms, he insists that you do not have to go to the prison to learn life skills.

"It is better if individuals took a personal initiative to learn survival skills,” he says.

Education good for inmates

According to a research published on August 22, 2013 titled "Education and Vocational Training in Prisons reduces recidivism, Improves Job Outlook”, Correctional education improves inmates’ chances of not returning to prison.

The survey conducted on Inmates who participate in correctional education programmes revealed that 43 percent of these had lower odds of recidivating than those who did not participate in correctional education. This translates to a reduction in the risk of recidivating of 13 percentage points.

It was also found that this may improve their chances of obtaining employment after release. The odds of obtaining employment after release among inmates who participated in correctional education were 13 percent higher than the odds for those who did not participate in correctional education.

Inmates exposed to computer-assisted instruction learned slightly more in reading and substantially more in math in the same amount of instructional time.

However, the research concluded that providing correctional education can be cost-effective when it comes to reducing recidivism.

Public reaction to education in prisons

Francis Mwangi

I think education in correctional facilities is a very important tool for transforming an inmate. When an inmate gets an education, his or her life is eventually transformed and after release, they can become good people within the society. I believe this is the best way to rehabilitate convicts.

Jean Baptist Nolahayo

Education in correctionla facilities is great because it opens the minds of inmates. They get to realise their own potential and thereafter live with enough confidence. The feeling is I could do better when I am not behind bars and such a drive creates entrepreneurs once let free.

Butare Nshuti

Besides being in prison, inmates are humanbeings and so deserve to be educated just like everyone else. Remember one day their sentence will end and they will come back to our society. What role then will they play if they are not given skills to enable them work when released?

Jean Vivien Iradukunda

As a Christian, I believe everyone is a sinner and should be given a second chance if they commit a crime. Therefore, I entirely support the idea of educating inmates while in the correctional facilities.

Arnold Kwizera

Once people are in detention, they have sufficient time to meditate on their life. And if equipped with the right skills, they are likely to change their way of doing things. Some can easily become role models in society after undergoing a total transformation.

Gad Mugisha

We have seen ex-inmates employing people when they leave the correctional facilities and start businesses. These are skills acquired during prison life. This is one way through which the society benefits. More individuals become employed and few idle around.