Department of Correctional Services and the Shuttleworth Foundation
29 May 2006
Creating partnerships to correct offending behaviour through effective
rehabilitation of offenders.
As part of the Rehabilitation Programme for offenders, the Department of
Correctional Services and the Shuttleworth Foundation have joined hands to
introduce a information technology (IT) and computer skills pilot project to
inmates throughout Correctional Centres.
This is the first phase of the project at the Pollsmoor Correctional Centre
and it will soon lead to the introduction of the project in other centres
throughout the country.
This will culminate in the eradication of the boundaries and barriers
created as a result of the digital divide by introducing drastic digital and IT
skills revolution for offenders. We are saying to offenders this is the
opportunity of a lifetime to grab with both hands.
This IT revolution will usher a new era in the learning and education
programmes of offenders as it will capacitate them with very scarce skills that
not every person out there is able to gain. This is indeed a very rare
opportunity.
The project 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.
This partnership between the department and the Shuttleworth Foundation is
aimed at introducing e-learning options to offenders, thus, capacitating them
in various IT and computer skills which they can better utilise when they are
released.
The second phase of this pilot project made possible through this continued
partnership, will be announced in due course.
It is against this backdrop that we will continue to enhance partnerships
with various community-based organisations, non-government organisations, etc.
who share the same vision and objective of correcting offending behaviour
through effective rehabilitation.
Offenders should see this as an opportunity to begin a new life, opening a
chapter of new beginnings, which bring about a skills revolution in
Correctional Centres.
Issued by: Department of Correctional Services
29 May 2006
