Dear Editor, I would like to applaud what the National Service of Community Work is doing for Rwandan convicts through their TIG community work efforts. Those who are imprisoned for their role in the Rwandan genocide of 1994, are integrated into TIG with the intention of cutting down on their sentence time in jail. From what I know, those who are convicted genocide crimes and are sentenced to 15 years in prison are legible to TIG. According to the law, they serve the half of their sentence in prison and the other half completing community work. The community work includes building houses for under priviledged people, filling out terraces in high altitude regions and hewing stones in order to pave the roads. So far the work done is great and every Rwandan can testify of this. This is evident with the clean and organised city of Kigali and other parts of the country that are also getting upgraded. However, TIG is not just a form of punishment, it is a process of rehabilitation, that will help convicts transform into better beings. More-so there are a lot of benefits for convicts in this programme. They are sheltered in camps where they receive food and medical treatment at the expense of the government. Even those who are HIV positive, receive ARV’s so they can stay strong. The government is also lenient enough to release those who are unable to complete community work due to failing health. Another benefit is that while in the camps, the illiterate are taught how to read and write. More still everybody is expected to learn a profession by the time the sentence is over. In this way they can integrate back into society and earn a living on skills acquired while serving their sentences. This innovation of TIG has been running for some good years now and Rwanda is not the only country that involves convicts in community work. Other developed countries have used this approach and have reaped benefits from it. Kimihurura
