Faith Nyasuguta
A local newspaper report now shows that Namibian prison authorities have prohibited recruitment of persons with visible tattoos in a bid to salvage the image of prisons.
The measure is being taken to safeguard the image of the prisons, as there have been concerns that certain tattoos worn by prison officers may be linked to criminal gangs, according to the Namibian Sun.
According to the Namibia Correctional Services (NCS) commissioner-general, Raphael Hamunyela, visible tattoos were not a good reflection of the service.
He noted that the country’s recruitment policy and the code of conduct would be amended to ensure that in future no person with visible tattoos is recruited into the NCS.
“New tattoos constitute a disciplinary offence,” Mr Hamunyela was quoted as saying.
The names of correctional officers bearing tattoos will subsequently also be taken for record-keeping.
