Ouagadougou: The Minister of Justice and Human Rights, in charge of Relations with Institutions, Keeper of the Seals, Edasso Rodrigue Bayala, expressed his satisfaction on Friday during a visit to the Baporo agricultural production site. This farm is run by prisoners as part of the Community Service (TIG) policy. He was accompanied for the occasion by the Minister of State, Minister in charge of Agriculture, Commander Isma«l SombiE.
According to Burkina Information Agency, this initiative reflects the vision of the Head of State, Captain Ibrahim TraorE, who instructed the government to promote the social reintegration of prisoners through activities useful to the nation. “We must punish by resocializing, by allowing people who have sinned once in their lives to make amends,” he stressed, recalling that the objective is to transform detention centers into production centers.
The Baporo agricultural site, created in the 1980s, is now experiencing a new boom. More than 130 hectares are planted with a variety of crops such as rice, corn, sorghum, soybeans, and cowpeas. For the rainy season alone, approximately 250 tons of grain are expected. A production which will be reinforced by development in the dry season, thanks to hydraulic potential available nearby. The stated ambition is to increase the area to 300 hectares by 2026.
The Minister of State for Agriculture, Commander Isma«l SombiE, praised the commitment of the inmates who, according to him, “selflessly contribute to our country’s food self-sufficiency.” He encouraged the TIG beneficiaries to continue their efforts to make the Baporo center a model of success in terms of reintegration and agricultural production.
For his part, Mr. Edasso Rodrigue Bayala paid tribute to all those involved in the criminal justice system and the prison administration who are working to implement this policy. He also thanked the media for their support, emphasizing the importance of “demystifying prison and showing that the convicted person remains a person who must be reintegrated into society.”
With the Baporo experience, the Burkinabe government intends to demonstrate that community service is a credible way to combine punishment, reintegration and economic development. Let us recall that Law No. 035-2024/ALT of November 8, 2024 on the administration of community service in Burkina Faso was adopted with a view to making remand and correctional facilities not only a training opportunity that will enable prisoners, upon their release, to begin successful social reintegration, but also a production opportunity to combat food insecurity.