Prisons command course officers study agricultural and infrastructure models at Isimba and Maiha
NATIONAL
Masindi,Uganda | Officers undertaking the Uganda Prisons Service Intermediate Command and Staff Course have visited Isimba and Maiha Prison Farms in Masindi District as part of a study tour aimed at exposing them to practical approaches in correctional management, rehabilitation and institutional development.
The officers toured the two prison farms to assess how agricultural production can be used not only to support institutional needs but also as a platform for equipping inmates with skills that can support their livelihoods after release.
Among the key areas examined were maize production, orchard establishment, agroforestry and livestock management. The officers were also introduced to integrated farming approaches, where various agricultural enterprises are combined to make better use of available land, labour and other resources.
The agricultural programmes form part of the Uganda Prisons Service’s broader rehabilitation and vocational training efforts, giving inmates opportunities to gain hands-on experience in farming and other productive activities.
Beyond agriculture, the study team inspected ongoing infrastructure projects within the prison facilities. Particular attention was given to construction works undertaken by the Prisons Engineering Gang to improve accommodation and other welfare facilities for both prisoners and staff.
The visit provided the course participants, who serve in middle-level management positions, with an opportunity to examine practical examples of planning, supervision, resource management and institutional self-reliance.
The lessons from the farms are expected to contribute to how the officers approach management and programme implementation when they return to their respective stations after completing the course.
The study tour is designed to complement classroom instruction by exposing correctional officers to operational models that demonstrate how rehabilitation, skills development, agricultural production, infrastructure and welfare programmes can be implemented in practice.
From Masindi, the officers are scheduled to proceed to Buliisa District in the Albertine Rift, where their programme will focus on Uganda’s emerging oil and gas industry, tourism, biodiversity conservation and infrastructure development.
The Buliisa leg will broaden the officers’ understanding of the country’s economic transformation and the leadership challenges and opportunities arising from major developments in the region.
The study tour therefore links correctional management with wider national development priorities, while encouraging officers to translate lessons from the field into practical improvements within the Uganda Prisons Service.
