Chairperson
Deputy Minister of Correctional Services
Chairperson and Members of the Correctional Services Portfolio Committee
Honourable Members of the Extended Public Committee
National Commissioner of Correctional Services and senior Management of DCS
Judge Vuka Tshabalala, the Inspecting Judge
Judge Siraj Desai, Chairperson and members of the National Council on Correctional Services
Members of the Medical Parole Advisory Board
Members of the Internal Audit Committee
Our officials and Offenders
Distinguished Guests
Comrades and friends
As we deliver this introduction to the Budget Vote debate, allow me to pay homage to one of the members of our portfolio committee, a comrade, sister and mother to us, umama uFlorence Nyanda who passed on the 6 of May 2012. May her soul rest in peace.
At the point of our appointment and our first Budget Vote in 2009, we had made an undertaking to continue with the work of transforming the department with a view of placing it as an integral part of the Integrated Criminal Justice System, and the value chain in the fight against crime and criminality.
In order to do this, we committed ourselves to a plan to address both the policy and operational challenges that inhibit the department’s ability to implement both the White Paper and the Correctional Services Act of 1998.
It remains our position that the department should not simply view its mandate solely in terms of incarceration and accommodating offenders, but that its work should be viewed within the context and as part of, the government’s efforts to ensure public safety. In order to do so, the work of the department should deliver on policy objectives of the new system espoused in the white paper.
As we pass the mid-term point of this Administration, this Budget Vote debate should review the extent to which we have made progress in terms of this commitment, and to clearly define what is required to be done in the remaining half of this term.
Chairperson, over the period in review, we have focused our work on improving departmental administration, on embedding transformation initiatives in the fabric of the Department, and ensuring compliance with the Constitution, the White Paper on Corrections and its policy and with the law. Our focus as a department is to deliver our services with greater efficiency, consistency, the appropriate work ethic, and managerial expertise.
Our report to you is that the department is undergoing a fundamental process of change.
Previously, we committed ourselves to implement various quick-win interventions aimed at addressing the key challenges and the creation of an environment conducive to the effective delivery of rehabilitation programs in our centres. As our report card will indicate, these quick-wins are becoming key drivers of our program of transformation.
We are finally succeeding in ensuring that the department operates differently in pursuance of the objectives of the White Paper. The work of the department in the previous three years has increasingly focused on the improvement of our core business focusing on offenders and effective rehabilitation.
1. On Overcrowding
We have always believed that overcrowding impacts on the ability of the department to provide effective rehabilitation. It is for this reason that last year, we had committed ourselves to deal with the problem of overcrowding in a sustained and integrated manner, and we are here to report to you that we are succeeding in this regard:
- Electronic Monitoring
The department is currently implementing a pilot project for electronic monitoring of certain categories of inmates placed on parole. This project only started on February 14th, and yesterday reached a mile stone when the 106th participant was tagged here in Cape Town.
It is our view, that the pilot has been a resounding success, and that it is time to extend electronic monitoring to other categories of offenders, including offenders still serving custodial sentences in our centres. It is our plan that this roll out should be finalised in this financial year.
It is also our intention to bring before the JCPS cluster, proposals on the consideration of the use of electronic monitoring as part of alternative sentencing for minor offences. This will ensure that only those who have committed serious offences serve a custodial sentence.
- The granting of a special remission of Sentence
On April 27th, as part of the celebration of 18 years of our freedom, and sixteen years of our Constitution, the President announced the granting of a Special Remission of Sentence for certain categories of offenders, including parolees and probationers.
The granting of a special remission of sentence is in line with the provisions of our Constitution and international practice where remission of sentence may be granted as part of the recognition of key events in the life of a country.
In deciding to grant this current remission, which is the first during this Administration, the cluster has taken care to ensure that those offenders who pose serious risk to society, particularly those declared to be dangerous criminals, are completely excluded from remissions.
The department has put in place a dedicated operational plan and capacity to manage the impact of the remission process.
- Effective Management of Remand Detention
After the promulgation of the Correctional Matters Amendment Act, the department has moved with speed to put in place the plan to operationalise the implementation of the new Act. Since then the department has now established a fully-fledged Branch for Remand Detention. A total of 23 distinct centres for remand detainees have now been approved and established.
- Establishment of Halfway Houses
As per our undertaking in the previous Budget, we also opened the first state funded Halfway House in February this year.
We had identified the real need to prepare offenders to function normally in society after their release, by creating a bridge that can help them adjust to the movement from incarceration to re-integration. We need to ensure that the confusion caused by this transition, is not so detrimental to the point of driving them to wish to return to a correctional facility, or force them to reoffend.
As we indicated last year, this Halfway House is currently housing juveniles who initially could not be released as a result of lack of a support system.
The next category of offenders who will benefit from the establishment of Halfway Houses will be women.
In fact Chairperson, today, in our midst, we have invited two sets of very special guests whose circumstances clearly demonstrate the importance of all of us viewing rehabilitation as a societal responsibility.
I must indeed thank Ms Simone Roetz for allowing us to share her story with the South African public, with the hope that through this, we can all come to truly appreciate the role that society plays both in breeding offending behaviour, and supporting the sustainability of rehabilitation once the offender has been released and reintegrated.
The long and short of her story is that, after suffering sexual abuse since the age of 5, she finally joined a life in the streets and became a sexual worker at the age of 14. Needless to say, this life involved the use of drugs and abuse of alcohol, and she was on a day to day basis surrounded by violence and physical abuse. At the age of 18 she had an altercation with a client in which she killed him.
We placed her on day parole because we felt that she was in a category that requires daily monitoring. However what we didn’t take full cognisance of was the shock therapy we were applying to her by thrusting her into society, where she had lost touch with family and friends. She had never worked all her life and has never been exposed to life on the outside since she was 18.This situation made her not to feel a part of such society. Eventually she absconded and returning to her life of alcohol abuse and had to be rearrested.
We need to talk about the story of what happened to Ms Roetz, because that helps to deal with the question of what role should society play in supporting those who have committed crimes, but are now deemed ready for social reintegration.
On the other hand, we need to accept that crime and criminality is entirely about failures in society and not a direct consequence of the failures of the system of Corrections. Preventing a life of criminality begins with the family unit, the social fibre and the opportunities for growth that our children get access to.
As we visited the Drakenstein facility yesterday, I became concerned to learn of the presence of young offenders under the age of 18.Upon further enquiry we learnt that these children, who normally, should not be in our facility, have committed serious crimes ranging from murder, rape and theft. We have invited these young people to join us at the gallery today.
The fact that these children, as young as 17 years of age, have committed these serious crimes, should make society to question where we have failed in protecting our children from a life of crime.
Together with Ms Roetz, these young people are only a small part of a bigger problem that society should be dealing with.
2. Protecting the Vulnerable groups
Mother and Baby Units
Honourable members,
It gives me great pleasure and a deep sense of pride, to report that that we succeeded during the previous year in piloting key projects aimed at enhancing rehabilitation work, particularly in relation to vulnerable groups within our offender population.
In August last year, we opened the first new generation Mother and Baby Units for women who are serving sentence with young babies under the age of 2 years. The purpose of these units is to allow the child as close to normal an existence as possible, even if such is under the conditions of incarceration of the mother.
These centres are currently operational in Pollsmoor, Durban Westville, and Johannesburg.
Youth Dialogue
We have once again increased the number of youth centres that are participating in youth dialogues, wherein parents are encouraged to visit their children and interact with them in the centres. During the previous year we held these dialogues in 10 youth centres across the country.
Medical Parole Policy
After the promulgation of the Correctional Matters Amendment Act, the new medical parole policy came into effect on the 1st of March 2012.We have, in accordance with the new policy, appointed the Medical Parole Advisory Board, chaired by Dr Victor Ramathesele who is here with us today. This is an independent panel of medical doctors that considers and decides on all medical aspects in the applications for placement on parole based on medical grounds. Only after their input, may a Parole Board consider such an application and decide in terms of the broader criteria for placement.
It is estimated that there are potentially 298 inmates in our facilities who can be considered for medical parole under the new framework.
Chairperson,
After conducting the review on the provision of new facilities through the PPP model, we took a decision to cancel the procurement process in October 2011.
The cancellation of the current procurement process does not exclude the future building of additional correctional facilities. The building and maintenance of correctional facilities (capital costs) may still be best provided by third parties, but such a decision can only be taken once DCS had pronounced on its long-term demand for facilities in relation to both the optimal size for inmate type and location.
It is our view that the issue of size for our centres should be based on requirements as opposed to the initial proposal that the new facilities should have 3000 bed capacity across the board. We have recently concluded a process of consultative engagements with the construction industry to discuss further plans with regard to infrastructure rollout. In line with the space requirements submitted from the region, the following are approved for construction this year: 2x500 bed capacity centres each for LMN and Eastern Cape, 1x500 bed capacity centres for Western Cape as well as a 1000 bed capacity centre in KwaZulu-Natal. Construction on the total of 6 centres will be initiated by the end of this year.
Ann additional 12 centres of between 500 and 1500 bed capacity will be constructed in the outer years.
Honourable Members,
I remain concerned that our target for 2012/13 remains as low as 30% (29 750/99 168) of sentenced offenders with correctional sentence plans completing correctional programmes, and this is an area that the Department must improve. It is important that focus is now placed on completion of such programmes and not simply on participation.
The Interim CMC structures are now established in all centres in accordance to section 42 of the Correctional Services Act.
On the 26th of March 2012, we held a national work session for Parole Boards and Case Management Committees in Pretoria Management Area to improve the effective functioning of both.
The department aims to improve the development of need-based assessment of offenders to improve the quality sentence plans for offenders. The law requires that Correctional Sentence Plans are implemented for all offenders with a sentence of 24 months and more. Approximately 80% of offenders with sentence of 24 months and more currently have sentence plans. Most new admissions with a sentence of 24 months and more are profiled within 21 days as required by the Act.
The issue of rehabilitation of short term offenders is a complex one that requires the attention of the Cluster. We have already identified appropriate centres for accommodation of short term offenders, separate from long term offenders. We are concerned about the proverbial revolving door amongst short term offenders, and hence I have issued a directive that the department reviews the rehabilitation path of such offenders.
Since last year, a National Framework on Offender Labour has been developed, consulted, approved and disseminated to regions for implementation. It is our plan that this new framework will help increase the number of offenders who participate in offender labour and skills development programmes.
The Department is in a process to evaluate the current technology security systems which include access control systems, surveillance systems, alarm systems, fencing systems, etc to ensure alignment with the security challenges and technology strategy of the Department. This process will direct the management, maintenance and upgrading of existing systems as well as implementation of new systems.
A contract has been awarded for the installation of security fences with CCTV cameras and detection systems at 27 correctional facilities. We are also in the process for the procurement of a service provider for the upgrading, maintenance and management of the existing access control system for DCS.
Access Control and Fencing Virtual Private Network that was run and controlled by external service providers has been taken over by department.
Body scanners will be installed in 20 priority facilities where after further roll out will be considered.
A skills development framework for security personnel inclusive of Emergency Support Teams (EST) was approved and a SASSETA accredited training curriculum for EST's is under development.
We are encouraged by the report that we are succeeding in the down management of escapes from a total of 106 in 2010/11 to 41 in 2011/2012. We have also identified the number of facilities with a high risk of gang activities.
Chairperson,
As you may be aware, we recently had an opportunity to introduce members of the NCCS to the Portfolio Committee.I am glad to announce that, Judge Desai has once again agreed to serve as Chairperson of the NCCS after we accepted the resignation of former Chairperson Judge Ndita who had to resign for personal reasons.
Following the Van Vuuren ruling of the Constitutional Court, I considered for placement on parole all 368 lifers that were affected by this decision.
I am also happy to announce that, Judge Vuka Tshabalala has been appointed as our new Inspecting Judge with effect from 1st November 2011. In line with the legislative amendments that came into effect in 2009, a CEO has also been appointed for the Office of the Inspecting Judge.
Chairperson and Honourable Members,
The Gallows Restoration Project, based at the Pretoria Management Area, is aimed at contributing to nation building and recording the impact of violent and inhumane policy of capital punishment, a part of our history that shall never be repeated in our beloved country.
Phase 1 of this project was completed last year and involved the reconstruction of the Gallows which had been dismantled in the mid-90s. The Restored Gallows were officially opened by President Jacob Zuma on 15 December 2011.We believe that through this museum, many of our people, including the younger generations, will come to terms with this aspect of our history and dedicate themselves to ensuring that we’ll never return to such an era.
My concern as a woman and a gender activist has been the skills that women offenders are given while in our facilities. It was for this reason that we launched a pilot project for the production of sanitary towels, called the Sanitary Dignity Campaign. The project is currently piloted in the East London Female Correctional Centre involving 10 female offenders in maximum security and three officials. While the project will make a significant contribution to the skilling of offenders, it will also assist in the provision of sanitary towels to young women in rural schools within the proximity of the centres.
The department has entered into partnerships with private sectors and NGOs to educate and skill our offenders in preparation for their reintegration into society. We are particularly thrilled with our partnership with the department of communications to offer e-literacy programme to young offenders between the ages of 14 and 35 years. Utilising internal resources the department has embarked on a project to establish computer based training centres at youth and adult centres. Offender involvement in skills development programmes and in vocational and skills training programmes in production workshops and on agricultural farms is an area of work that needs some refining.
Chairperson,
Since my appointment I have been acutely aware of the anomalies in the structure of the Department of Correctional Services and have consistently engaged with management in relation to amending the structure. I have now approved the high level structure of DCS which will fundamentally transform the manner in which DCS provides delivery of service. The span of command of the National Commissioner has been rationalised to 8 direct reports as opposed to the unmanageable 17 direct reports that he has had! Reporting directly to the National Commissioner we have established a Chief Operating Officer post to whom the 6 Regional Commissioners will report.
The following managers will be reporting directly to the COO: Chief Security Officer, the Head of Facilities, a DC Operations Support, and the head of litigation. Reporting also directly to the National Commissioner are the head of strategic management, the CFO, the Head of HR, the Chief Audit Executive and the GITO. Finally we have in line with the logic of the mandate of Correctional Services established 3 core business branches – remand detention, correctional incarceration, and community corrections.
The restructuring of the Core Business Branches is in line with the Cabinet decision in relation to Remand Detention, combines the functions currently carried out in Personal Corrections and Development and Care, and lifts Community Corrections to a fully-fledged Branch.
In particular the creation of the Correctional Incarceration Branch is fundamental to the ability of DCS to focus on sound development of Correctional Sentence Plans as the driving force of all elements of the Offender Rehabilitation Path, thus improving the quality of rehabilitation of offenders. The separation of the Community Corrections function will enable the department to pay sufficient strategic attention to the function in order to translate the White Paper principles on social reintegration into practice.
In this regard I am glad to announce that we have a full complement of CDCs and RCs appointed in terms of the new structure and that we do not have anybody who is in an acting capacity at that level.
Chairperson,
Following various discussions on the matters relating to employment equity raised within the Western Cape region, I have decided to appoint a team led by Adv Ntsebeza to investigate and report back to me on the matter. Once I have received these findings and recommendations, I will be able to pronounce the position of the department going forward.
As we promised last year the GITO branch is now headed at CDC level, and is in the process of being capacitated. The Department has significantly reduced the number of consultants working in IT from 156 at the end of the 2010/11 financial year to about 45 consultants at the end of 2011/12. The consultants are being replaced through the filling of permanent IT technical posts. I am pleased to announce that the delivery on the strategy that we have developed to turn around DCS IT systems has started.
The Network Infrastructure renewal has started with the implementation of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to improve systems security and connectivity. Based on this platform, the review and implementation of the Master Information Systems Plan will be based on a thorough assessment of the information needs of the Department and will embed an integrated technology strategy in DCS.
With regard to performance against predetermined objectives the department has developed an action plan to get clean Audit by 2013/14. A critical enabler of this however is putting the IT infrastructure and the business systems of the Department onto a solid footing aligned to the Strategic Plan and the APP performance indicators and their data elements.
The DCS beefed up its capacity in Financial Accounting during 2011/12 financial year; as a result the Department has been able to clear all zero suspense accounts for month-end closure with effect from July 2011.The Suspense Accounts Team monitors the clearance of suspense accounts and unblocks any challenges experienced at both national and regional or management area level.
DCS has also for the first time been able to clear all year-end zero suspense accounts by 26 April 2012. This enabled the Department to perform the financial year-end closure on BAS without being force-closed for March 2012.And in this regard DCS was one of the first departments to successfully close its books.
Budget Analysis
The following is the analysis of the funds we are allocated for the vote debate:
The Budget allocations over the MTEF period will increase the baseline toR17,732 billion (7% increase) in 2012/13; to R18,763 billion (6% increase) in 2013/14; and to R19,900 billion (6% increase) in 2014/15. I must also indicate that there are budget cuts of R257.1 million in 2012/13, R268.8 million in 2013/14 and R285 million in 2014/15 on capital works projects as a result of under spending over the previous financial years. This is a matter that will be addressed through the infrastructure roll-out that we will announce during the adjustment estimates in September.
Chairperson,
We present this budget as an account of the progress we have made in the commitments made in our previous votes.
It is our submission that the bulk of the work undertaken represents significant measure of success. In this regard we thank this House and the members of Portfolio Committee in particular for your on-going support and oversight.
Once more I would like to thank our managers and officials for the sterling work they continue to do in support of our policy objectives.
The amount of progress made to date, is a sign that we will make it.
