Ouagadougou: Five hundred inmates from 22 prisons in Burkina Faso are set to participate in a community service initiative that promises to reduce their sentences. The program will involve cleaning 150 kilometers of gutters, removing 1,500 cubic meters of garbage, clearing 300 hectares of public spaces, and planting 10,000 trees, as announced by Captain Ollo Palenfo, Secretary General of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Access to Land.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the initiative is part of an effort to support labor-intensive work (HIMO) through the prison administration. Captain Ollo Palenfo highlighted that the convicts eligible for community service are being mobilized to engage in these extensive environmental and sanitation tasks. The project, named HIMO-Ziniar©, will be officially launched on August 2, 2025, in Ziniar©.

The initiative is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Infrastructure and Disenclavement and the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights. It aligns with the vision of the Head of State, Captain Ibrahim Traor©, to use community service as a tool for social reintegration and development.

“For every month of community service, the inmate’s sentence will be reduced by three months,” Captain Palenfo explained. This approach not only aims to rehabilitate inmates but also to ease the burden of prison overcrowding and reduce the costs incurred by the state in maintaining prisoners.

Director General of the Prison Administration, Sabila Sawadogo, noted that the initiative tackles two significant issues: improving the living environment for the population through sanitation and environmental protection, and providing inmates with an opportunity for social rehabilitation by instilling values of work and dignity.

Mr. Sawadogo assured that all necessary security measures are in place to prevent any escape risks and reported that many prisoners have already shown enthusiasm for participating in this promising initiative.