It’s a troubling trend that shows no sign of slowing—more than a third of all prison admissions in Seychelles during the first quarter of 2025 involved individuals who had already served time behind bars. That’s according to the latest Crime, Justice and Security (CJS) Statistics report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), and it raises fresh concerns about the effectiveness of the country’s correctional and rehabilitation systems.
In hard numbers, 356 of the 990 total admissions were repeat offenders. The problem is particularly stark among men: 349 of those repeat cases involved male inmates, while only 7 were women, laying bare a pronounced gender imbalance that mirrors broader trends in the criminal justice landscape.
The high rate of recidivism is now sounding alarm bells for policymakers and prison officials alike. Experts say the numbers point to a deeper issue—an absence of effective reintegration strategies for former prisoners and limited support structures once they are released.
“Recidivism is more than just a statistic—it’s a reflection of what we’re failing to fix on the outside,” commented a source familiar with the prison system, speaking anonymously. “These men are not just reoffending, they’re often returning to the same environment that landed them there in the first place.”
The NBS report also hinted at broader systemic challenges, with repeat offences consistently concentrated in certain age and socioeconomic brackets—suggesting that poverty, unemployment, and lack of social services may be key contributors.
While some rehabilitation initiatives exist, critics argue they lack the scale, funding, and follow-up mechanisms to make a lasting impact.
As these numbers cast a long shadow over the country’s justice landscape, the big question remains: Is Seychelles doing enough to stop repeat offenders from walking straight back into prison? For now, the statistics speak louder than any policy speech.
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