Justice and Correctional Services Deputy Minister Thabang Makwetla says many correctional centres have performed well despite various challenges they had to contend with including stubborn levels of overcrowding.
Deputy Minister Makwetla made the remarks at Rooigrond Correctional Centre in Mahikeng today - 18 December 2014, as part of his intensive regional roadshow that covered all six regions of Correctional Services this year. Mr Makwetla said, in most instances correctional officials have continued to make serious sacrifices in managing some of South Africa's most difficult citizens - offenders. He said the officials remained positive despite many challenges they had to contend with, including high levels of overcrowding and resource limitations.
The Rooigrond Management Area has five centres that accommodate 1760 inmates, including remand detainees, maximum security and medium security offenders with only a 10.13% overcrowding rate. The management area also manages 1087 probationers and parolees, who are serving their sentences under community and correctional supervision. Of the five centres of Rooigrond Management Area, four had not experienced a single escapes over the past four years, from 2011 to 2014.
Deputy Minister Makwetla congratulated the Rooigrond Management Area for serving as a pocket of excellence for the country, citing among others, work done to ensure optimal participation of offenders in sport, arts and culture, ensuring zero escapes in four of the five centre over the past five years. A series of books were published by offenders or parolees in the LMN region.
He said areas requiring more attention included reported cases of assaults and better performance information management. He urged the management of the department to be part of the cutting edge in public service innovations. Deputy Minister Makwetla was accompanied by Acting National Commissioner Zach Modise and the executive management of the department from the LMN Region and the head office in Pretoria.
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