correctional services after its five-day oversight visit to the Eastern
Cape
4 August 2006
Staff promotions, lack of discipline, shortage of specialist skills for
diverse rehabilitation programmes and overcrowding mainly due long delays in
the finalisation of cases of awaiting trial detainees as well as the
incarceration of many petty offenders who cannot afford fines imposed by
courts, are some of the major issues that the Portfolio Committee uncovered
during its five-day oversight visit to the Eastern Cape.
The Committee visited correctional centres in East London, King William's
Town, Middledrift and St Albans, from 1 to 4 August 2006 where Members of
Parliament (MPs) met with management, staff and inmates and conducted
inspection of cells and site tours of rehabilitation programmes.
Absence of a comprehensive permanent staff promotions policy that covered
all staff, replacing the current interim policy which benefited only a certain
category of staff was a major concern raised by correctional officers
throughout the centres visited, says Mr Dennis Bloem, the chairperson of the
committee.
He says this contributed to the low morale and lack of discipline amongst
staff. Whilst the shortage of specialist skills was a common one throughout the
public service, it has to be seriously tackled in correctional services; as
such skills form the backbone of the programmes for the rehabilitation of
offenders.
A skills retention policy has to be implemented as a matter of priority to
attract and retain the key specialist skills relevant to the services and
programmes of the department and also so that more diverse rehabilitation
programmes could be offered.
Mr Bloem says overcrowding was increasing with some of the centres
experiencing between 100 and 200 percent overcrowding, coupled with shortage of
staff. This poses a security risk and a health hazard, particularly at the
Middledrift Maximum Security Prison.
The delays in the finalisation of cases of awaiting trial detainees and the
incarceration of petty offenders who could not afford fines imposed by courts
ranging between R100 and R1 000, was the major contributing factor to space
shortage in correctional centres.
Mr Bloem says the committee has met with the provincial criminal justice
clusters including magistrates and prosecutors to ensure a coordinated approach
in the reduction of awaiting trial detainees.
The clusters have committed themselves to expediting the finalisation of
outstanding cases whilst magistrates and prosecutors have agreed on the
imposition of alternative or diversion sentences such as correctional and
community supervision sentences for petty offenders who could not afford fines
between R100 and R1 000.
Many of the other institutional issues picked up by the committee will be
referred to the office of the national commissioner who will have to account on
progress made in addressing them and also on the delays regarding the
resolution of those that have been raised many a times.
We want to assist the department to perform more efficiently and effectively
and if we do not do so, we will be failing to execute our oversight mandate as
MPs and public representatives, concludes Mr Bloem.
Enquiries:
Luphumzo Kebeni
Ministerial Spokesperson
Cell: 082 453 2244
Issued by: Department of Correctional Service
4 August 2006
Source: SAPA
