Future-Proofing the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service: Strategic Foresight and Institutional Resilience in Correctional Systems | Chapter 8 | New Horizons of Science, Technology and Culture Vol. 9

 

Contemporary correctional institutions are increasingly embedded within complex sociotechnical, environmental, and security systems that expose them to systemic shocks and deep uncertainty, including climate-linked disruptions and resource constraints. In Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) exemplifies these systemic pressures, reflecting the broader structural and operational constraints characteristic of correctional institutions in resource-limited contexts.

 

This study examines the growing vulnerability of contemporary correctional systems to intersecting technological, environmental, security and governance disruptions, with particular reference to the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service. Although Zimbabwe has not yet experienced widespread radicalisation or organised gang violence within correctional institutions, regional developments and the increasing mobility of incarcerated populations highlight the need for anticipatory preparedness. These emerging risks are compounded by structural challenges within the correctional system, including dependence on firewood-based energy, climate-sensitive agricultural production and limited digital infrastructure, which collectively heighten institutional exposure to climate variability, resource insecurity and operational disruption. Adopting a qualitative and conceptual research design grounded in strategic foresight analysis, the study examines how correctional leadership can strengthen institutional resilience, anticipate future shocks and enhance long-term adaptability. The analysis draws on strategic foresight methodologies including contextual analysis and scenario-based reflections to examine emerging risks facing correctional governance. This chapter advances a strategic foresight perspective on correctional governance by proposing a resilience-oriented framework for anticipating and managing emerging disruptions in correctional systems. Guided by systems theory, organisational resilience theory and strategic foresight perspectives, the analysis integrates global governance priorities with the contextual realities of Zimbabwe’s correctional environment.

 

The study proposes an integrated resilience framework structured around five mutually reinforcing pillars: digital integration, climate-smart sustainability, energy transition, ideological threat preparedness and rehabilitative innovation. Through scenario-based reflection, the framework illustrates how these pillars can enhance adaptive capacity, mitigate emerging risks and balance custodial security with rehabilitative effectiveness. The chapter contributes to emerging debates on correctional governance by advancing a forward-looking model that shifts institutional responses from reactive crisis management toward proactive and adaptive transformation. Through emphasising foresight-driven leadership, strategic partnerships and cross-sector collaboration, the study positions correctional systems as critical actors in national security, social rehabilitation and sustainable development within an increasingly complex and uncertain global environment.

 

 

Author(s) Details

Moses Cyril Ngawaite Chihobvu
CUT Graduate Business School, School of Entrepreneurship & Business Sciences, Chinhoyi, University of Technology, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe.

 

Dennis Nikisi
CUT Graduate Business School, School of Entrepreneurship & Business Sciences, Chinhoyi, University of Technology, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe.

 

Tsitsi Mufudza
CUT Graduate Business School, School of Entrepreneurship & Business Sciences, Chinhoyi, University of Technology, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/nhstc/v9/7294