The Africa Correctional Services Association (ACSA) has agreed on a five year plan to harmonise policies and address challenges facing prisons on the continent.
This plan was crafted during a five day strategic planning session of ACSA’s executive committee and senior officials that ended on Friday, 5 February in Pretoria.
Addressing delegates, Acting National Commissioner of Correctional Services in South Africa, Ms Jennifer Schreiner, said “the goals we have set ourselves can be achieved if member countries pay particular attention to needs and challenges of the prisons systems. Our main aim collectively is to ensure rehabilitation of offenders and identify our unique role as Correctional Services administrators in enhancing stability and reconstruction of countries in the continent.”
The five year plan focuses on seven key areas aimed at strengthening governance, research and development, human resource development, education and training, learning and knowledge management, awarding excellence as well as technical assistance in post-conflict reconstruction and development.
Some of the strategies prioritised for effective execution within the next eight months include:
* Establishment of a secretariat by March 2010 through secondment of the Principal Officer, Deputy Principal Officer and a few officials to ensure effective execution of the resolutions of ACSA
* Institution of an aggressive membership recruitment drive particularly in Northern and Western African sub-regions
* Aligning, standardising and enhancing professionalism in corrections by amongst others introducing Africa Corrections Excellence Awards within two years
* Improving management of prisons/correctional centres in line with international and continental protocols particularly in conflict ravaged countries that need reconstruction and development.
ACSA will soon convene its executive committee meeting to ratify the decisions of the planning session. Commissioners also shared best practices of successful rehabilitation while flagging some of the worst challenges facing prison/correctional services in Africa which include:
* massive overcrowding that reaches 300 percent in some prisons/correctional centres
* poorly functioning criminal justice systems that result in up to 93 percent of inmates being awaiting trial detainees in some countries
* old and dilapidated facilities that militate against the tenets of human rights and undermine the core business of rehabilitation.
Acknowledging these challenges, ACSA President, Commissioner Gibbie Nawa of Zambia said delivery of correctional services must go beyond ‘lock and key’. He urged member states to “collectively place correctional services on a new developmental path aimed at enhancing its effectiveness in promoting public safety,” He reminded delegates that “failure is not an alternative”.
Issued by: Department of Correctional Services
9 February 2010
Source: Department of Correctional Services (http://www.dcs.gov.za/)
