Abstract:

Training and development are widely recognised as critical enablers of organisational transformation within public sector institutions undergoing structural and cultural reform. In correctional systems transitioning from punitive to rehabilitation-oriented models, training and development play a central role in equipping correctional personnel with the knowledge, competencies, attitudes, and operational skills necessary for implementing reformative practices. This paper examines the contribution of training and development to the reformative change management process within the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS). The findings reveal that while training and development are recognised as important components of reform, existing training programmes within ZPCS remain insufficiently targeted, inconsistently implemented, and inadequately aligned with operational reform challenges. The paper concludes that sustainable reformative change within correctional institutions requires context-specific, continuous, participatory, and strategically aligned training systems capable of embedding rehabilitation-oriented values into institutional culture and operational practice.