psychologists
21 July 2006
The Department of Correctional Services wishes to dismiss as 'a negation of
history and the South African context' reports on the fact of scarcity of
psychologists for servicing offenders in correctional facilities.
The Department believes its intervention to assist offenders in their
rehabilitation through provision of psychological services is indeed not
enough, but remains commensurate with or even better than those historically
and currently accessible to most South Africans. In addition the 55
psychologists currently available in correctional services is the highest
number ever in the history of the Department, which contributed in improving
numbers of those with access to these services between 2004/05 and 2005/06
financial year by 73,14 percent, from 10 292 to 17 820 in one year.
South Africans access to these services inclusive of private and the public
sector on average is about 1 304 000 compared to the developed world's ratio of
one psychologist to 4 000 people. Correctional services rate of access in
correctional facilities inclusive of permanent and registered contract
psychologists is one psychologist to 2 000 offenders.
In addition it is absolutely misleading to ignore the multi disciplinary
approach adopted by the Department, suggesting that every offender will only be
rehabilitated once he/she gets psychological help. This traditional approach to
psychological services cannot assist in addressing fundamental challenges that
face the South African nation inside and outside of correctional facilities.
The overall improvements made during the first decade of freedom in terms of
reduction of offender on offender violence by 87 percent and numbers of escapes
by 90,3 percent are just examples of the overall impact of multi disciplinary
and multi pronged interventions made through among others spiritual,
educational, social work services and other non-Eurocentric psychological
interventions made.
As one reflects on these improvements it is perhaps also crucial to state
that not every offender is in urgent need for psychological help and we
prioritise certain categories which include suicidal offenders, court orders,
sexual offenders, youth and those experiencing emotional difficulties.
The reality is that there are a number of scarce skills across the country
and as a microcosm of the society, correctional services cannot be an exception
as ordinary efforts embarked on last year to get these scarce skills from the
open labour market proved unsuccessful. Under the circumstance our correctional
officials are doing absolutely well and deserve praise. A newly born South
African will not be conscious of these historical challenges, difference the
first decade of freedom made and the efforts undertaken to take delivery of
correctional services into a new development path.
Conscious of these inhibitors, the Department has developed a new
recruitment and retention strategy that seeks to turn around the scenario. The
strategy includes provision of higher packages, bursaries for scarce skills,
special allowances, career pathing and various other methods aimed making
correctional services an employer of choice.
There is a clear government commitment to achieve our vision of an ideal
correctional system which is well articulated in the Constitution section 35,
Correctional Services Act and the White Paper on Corrections. We have set this
legal, policy and strategic to guide our plans to create an ideal correctional
system in South Africa over the next two decades.
Inquiries:
Manelisi Wolela
Tel: (012) 305 8205
Cell: 083 6260304
Issued by: Department of Correctional Services
21 July 2006
Source: SAPA
