The Department of Correctional Services has again placed offender Rashied Staggie on day-parole with effect from, 16 May 2014, as he has secured employment in Sea Point - Cape Town. Staggie will leave the Pollsmoor Correctional Centre at 6h00 and return to the facility at 19h30 on working days.
His placement again on day parole was approved by the Pollsmoor Correctional Supervision and Parole Board (CSPB) on 14 February 2014 after re-evaluating his case as he was rearrested in December 2013 and his day parole revoked on 24 December 2013. Since the 14 February 2014, Staggie remained in custody as his earlier employer was disqualified following his failure to report Staggie’s deviations from day parole conditions.
Staggie will continue with day parole up to 17 September 2014, after which he would qualify for full parole until the completion of his sentence in 2017. One of the strict conditions placed on him is tagging to ensure effective electronic monitoring of his whereabouts.
Any failure to return to the correctional centre during day-parole is treated seriously and could, in terms of Section 117 of the Correctional Services Act, Act 111 of 1998 as amended, face criminal charges with a sentence of up to 10 years in custody if convicted.
On average Correctional Services places hundreds of offenders on day-parole and weekend parole as part efforts to promote social re-integration of offenders before they are due for full parole placement. In Pollsmoor alone 21 offenders are benefiting from day-parole while those with weekend leave from incarceration are 18.
The Department has also noted with great appreciation the impact of electronic monitoring on compliance levels with parole conditions in South Africa. Between 2009 and 2014 compliance with parole conditions improved phenomenally from 84% to over 90%, essentially due to the introduction of electronic monitoring by Minister Sibusiso Ndebele. The EM also played a key role in the re-arrest of Staggie in December 2013.
Contact:
Manelisi Wolela
Deputy Commissioner of Communications
Cell: 076 0622180
Tel: 012 3072672
Email: Manelisi.wolela@dcs.gov.za
