Honourable MEC
Regional Commissioner
Ladies and gentlemen
Regional Commissioner, I promised you that I would visit eNcome and I hope you are happy that I have kept this promise. It has indeed been a very interesting day for me and getting here is not the easiest thing. For me, commissioner, it was important that I come here because it can be very misleading to end up in your urbanised areas. I think it is critical that I, as Minister, go beyond the glossy reports that I get in Pretoria and Cape Town but also see the other side of life in the Department of Correctional Services.
Ladies and gentlemen, the primary project that brings us here is to observe offender labour in action. Those of you that have followed my pronouncements know that this is an area I feel very strongly about. I have stated that the Department of Correctional Services must increasingly identify areas where offender labour can be used to touch the lives of our people.
Offender labour is not a new concept in the discourse on corrections theories and methods. There are many reasons why we want to encourage the useful engagement of offender labour. For me, offender labour is an essential part of corrections and must form an integral part of the incarceration process.
Let me take this opportunity to deal with a number of issues that are always raised with me when I discuss this subject. The first thing I want to say is that the concept of offender labour is not new. Our sentencing is based on the basic understanding that the real punishment of offenders is in them being deprived of their normal liberties.
In terms of section 37(1) (b) every prisoner must perform any labour which is generally designed to foster habits of industry unless this is ruled out by medical or psychological reports pronouncing a prisoner physically and/or mentally unfit for such task.
Section 40 further provides that sufficient work must be provided in order to keep prisoners active for a normal working day and a prisoner may be compelled to do such work. The same section further provides that a prisoner must not be compelled to work as a form of punishment.
The essence of our legislation is very clear in this regard. We as government have an obligation to ensure that offenders in our centres get involved in meaningful work as part of their development and as part of developing a sense of industry and the discipline that comes with this.
It is for this reason that I am very pleased that there are many of our centres that have been able to foster this. Today, I am sure every offender and officer who was involved in the renovation and building of these homes here can stand proud among their peers. The ability of offenders to leave a lasting legacy of reconstruction and reconciliation is at the core of the social fabric we wish to restore. This is just the beginning of greater things to come.
There are many such acts of kindness taking place all over South Africa and I have urged the department to ensure that these programs are coordinated and properly recorded so that we can proudly present these as evidence to our communities as part of our social responsibility.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have urged the department to encourage each correctional facility to adopt the community around that centre and play a meaningful role in programs of poverty alleviation and infrastructure development.
The long term objective in terms of offender labour is to raise the current levels of offender engagement. We are aware that in some instances the security risk assessments militate against the utilisation of some offenders in public spaces. I am, however, not convinced that where offenders can be used, they are indeed being given the opportunity to be industrious.
Yesterday, I was in Groenpunt Correctional Centre in the Free State. I was very pleased to see that the offenders had built entire blocks of single and communal cells. These facilities were built from the ground up without the intervention of the Department of Public Works. I, standing here, see no reason why offenders from a number of correctional centres cannot join hands and build a school or a clinic for some of our needy communities.
Another matter that I must take address is with this community, my message is that please embrace former inmates. We cannot break the cycle of crime in a sustainable manner when we reject people who are released into our communities. Let us not make it easier for them to want to return to the comfort of the prisons where many have spent the better parts of their lives. We call on all family members and relatives on inmates to please honour our call for them to visit their loved ones in the various correctional centres.
I would be making a big mistake if I finished my address without thanking our officers who discharge their duties with honour. There are some in this region who have resisted the implementation of the seven day establishment. Many of you, however, know that this is something that has been outstanding for over seven years now if not more. The basic reality is that we could definitely not continue with the way things had always been. What we must now do, is work hard at ensuring that we make this system work for all of us. We will keep doing our best to improve the conditions of officers and we ask of them to discharge their responsibilities with honour and pride. I also want to thank all our partners who have made this achievement possible today we have really shown that working together we can do more.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Correctional Services
22 September 2009
Source: Department of Correctional Services (http://www.dcs.gov.za/)
