communities once they have been released
13 February 2007
The Department of Correctional Services will continue to empower offenders
with education and skills, so that they can make a difference in the lives of
communities upon release, said Minister Balfour today whilst addressing about
50 inmates at the Pollsmoor Correctional Centre today.
The inmates are part of a group of 70 inmates drawn from Pollsmoor and
Malmesbury correctional centres who will be writing examinations for an
internationally-recognised computer skills course as from today. This is the
first computer skills programme of its kind for inmates in South Africa.
Minister Balfour said the rehabilitation programme through education and
skills provision for offenders is mainly aimed at encouraging offenders to
contribute positively to communities they have offended, as part of restorative
justice.
The computer course which is being rolled out to correctional centres
nationally, was made possible by the Shuttleworth Foundation which donated 50
computers in May 2006 to the Pollsmoor and Malmesbury centres in the Western
Cape, respectively as part of the rolling out of Open Source Learning Centres
for inmates in correctional facilities.
Minister Balfour also received a certificate of recognition of the course
from the representative of the International Computer Drivers Licence (ICDL),
the institution which assesses and accredits computer courses
internationally.
The course will enable the inmates, whose ages range between 19 and 30
years, to receive credits for end�user computer skills should they advance to
tertiary education.
Minister Balfour said the course has brought about an "information
technology (IT) and skills revolution" in correctional centre as it will
capacitate inmates with very scarce skills that not every ordinary person is
able to gain.
"This is a very rare opportunity, which offenders should see as an
opportunity to begin a new life and also open a chapter of new beginnings in
their rehabilitation and social reintegration," he said.
This project which started in Pollsmoor and Malmesbury correctional centres
will finally result in the establishment of Computer Based Learning Centres and
Open Source Learning Centres in all Centres of Excellence within our
correctional centres.
It consists of seven modules, which include amongst them, basic computer
software skills, spreadsheet, web browser and internet. The inmates will be
writing two modules a week until end of February after which they are expected
to receive their certificates.
This is in line with the White Paper on Corrections which propagates for the
introduction of rehabilitation programmes for offenders through provision of
educational opportunities and skills so as to ensure effective rehabilitation
and social reintegration.
For further information, please contact:
Luphumzo Kebeni
Director: Media Liaison
Ministry of Correctional Services
Tel: (021) 462 2314
Fax: (021) 465 4375
Cell: 082 453 2244
Issued by: Department of Correctional Services
13 February 2007
