BRIEFING BY MINISTER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
16 August 1999
Documents handed out:
Into the millennium and beyond
SUMMARY
MINUTES
The Minister, Mr Benjamin Skosana, chaired the meeting in the absence of an elected chair. The chair is to be elected at a later date. Mr Skosana was accompanied by Mr R. Mataka in charge of Human Resource Management and Personnel; Mr W. Tshivhase in charge of Finance and Information Technology and Mr S. Korabie, Chief Deputy Commissioner of Functional Services.
Mr Skosana indicated that the purpose of the meeting was to inform new members of parliament of the course set by the department in the last five years and the direction it intended to take in the future. See document into the Millenium and beyond.
Mr Skosana stated that South Africa's 235 prisons currently house 154 215 inmates and are staffed by 34 000 employees. In addition to that there are approximately 60 000 convicts in community programs. The Minister then gave a breakdown of inmates by province and gender. One of the concerns highlighted was that of overcrowding estimated at 55,94%.
Comments and questions by Members of Parliament
An MP inquired as to whether prison privileges encouraged prisoners to return to prison. His concern was that if prison provided a more hospitable environment than the detainee's usual living environment, for instance in a squatter camp, prison would become an incentive rather than a disincentive to commit crime.
The Minister responded that prison authorities were not there to punish prisoners for their crimes. The sentence handed down by the Judge was the punishment for the crime and the role of the Department is to protect society by means of the incarceration of those that pose a threat to it. Mr Korabie reiterated the Minister's sentiments and added that those privileges considered detrimental to the safety of the staff or society in general , were revoked last year. He also mentioned that the privileges were graded and were granted for good behavior.
Mr Schmidt (DP) asked about an automated fingerprinting system to facilitate the easy identification of a prisoner and pertinent information concerning them.
Mr Tshivhase responded by referring to the Automated Fingerprinting Information System which was in the pipelines. He envisaged that this would adequately address the situation and provide all necessary information timeously.
Mr Schmidt then inquired about a time frame for the implementation of such a system. Mr Tshivhase stated that he expected implementation by the end of the 2000/2001 financial year.
Mr Ndlovo of the IFP asked about the possibility of the electronic monitoring of prisoners when under community supervision.
Mr Mataka responded that an electronic monitoring pilot project had already been successfully completed. The Department is currently putting out a tender to manage and service such a system. He foresaw implementation by March of 2000 in selected provinces.
There were many question concerning the dispensing of condoms in the prisons and the implications thereof. Certain members were concerned about the implicit condoning of homosexual activity which they felt to be immoral. Moreover , they were concerned that prisoners who sodomised others without their consent might be prone to return to prison as such activity is not condoned in society. Certain members were also concerned about the sexual abuse of minors in instances where they are exposed to adult prisoners. One member asked whether homosexual prisoners are in any way separated from heterosexual prisoners.
The Departmental Panel argued that prisons are a microcosm of society and therefore just as there is homosexual activity in society so it is found in prisons. With the prevalence of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, it is important to dispense condoms. These are dispensed under the supervision of health care workers. Juvenile prisoners are supposed to be kept separate from adult prisoners at all times. Exceptions to this are as a failure of prison warders to implement the policy and not a failing of the Department. Homosexual prisoners are not separated from heterosexual prisoners as this would be an infringement of their rights.
One member expressed concern about a perceived lack of discipline and respect in the prisons.
Mr Mataka maintained that where staff were concerned, this was a by-product of a dispute between that trade union and the management. However he felt that the decrease in prison breaks and unrest indicates that discipline and respect are returning to the prisons.
An MP expressed concern about the distribution of resources as she felt that small towns were disadvantaged when it came to the provision of youth facilities. She was also concerned about youths being unable to find employment and therefore returning to a life of crime.
Mr Mataka said it was not financially feasible to have facilities in all small towns. However services will be made as widely available as possible. Mr Korabie conceded that work was difficult to find.
When questioned about overcrowding in the prisons, Mr Mataka said efforts were being made to divert juveniles and less serious offenders elsewhere.
At the close of the meeting one member objected to the nature of the questions being asked. He felt that the time to go into what he termed these "positional issues" was at later committee meetings and not at the briefing.
Annexure
BRIEFING BY MINISTER SKOSANA: CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
Into the millennium and beyond
Over the past five years the Department has sought, and in many ways succeeded, to transform itself into an effective and efficient instrument of service delivery. The highlights of transformation are as follows:
· The Correctional Services Act, 1959 (Act 8 of 1959) was amended and eventually redrafted into the new Correctional Services Act, 1998 (Act 111 of 1998) resulting in an Act that is not only aligned with the Constitution of the country, but one that is also comparable with the best in the world.
· The disparate TBVC states and self-governing territories' departments of corrections were smoothly integrated into a single unified national Department of Correctional Services.
· Based on the need to move away from a punitive to a more humane and rehabilitative approach to corrections, the Department demilitarized on 1 April 1996, ushering in a new organisation culture that has a human rights focus.
· The Equity Directorate was established during 1997 with the main objective to eliminate all form of unfair discrimination as well as the institution of proactive equality and affirmative action measures.
· Targets set in terms of representation based on demographic proportions were met. Most of the changes in terms of broad representation took place at the management echelon level.
· A gender desk was created to ensure the mainstreaming of gender consideration into the Department's strategic planning, projects and programmes. The number of women in management has increased from 2% in 1994 to 18% in 1998. A host of sexual discriminatory provisions in the Department's policies have been removed.
· A disability management desk charged with the task of ensuring the effective integration of disability issues into the Department's planning, strategies and programmes was established. A draft policy on persons with disabilities in the Department was developed.
· The Employee Assistance Programme, as will be instituted within the Department, will be a holistic wellness programme designed to provide support to personnel to assist them in preventing and coping with the problems that affect their ability to deliver an acceptable level of service delivery.
· The Department accepted a Code of Conduct which not only reflects the core values, namely development, integrity, security, recognition of human dignity, efficiency accountability and justice, but which is also consistent with a human rights culture. An organisational culture was established that is inclusive of, and values diversity within the Department and one that supports the affirmation of those that have been previously disadvantaged.
· An integrated human resources development policy consistent with the requirements of both the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and the National Qualifications Authority.
· A personnel retraining project aimed at retraining the more than 30,000 members of the Department was also launched. The objective of the retraining is to reorientate personnel by equipping them with the skills required to deal with skills required to deal with the fast changing situation within and outside the Department.
· A human rights training project, which is to be attended by both inmates and members, was launched as a joint effort between the Department and non-governmental organisations.
· Basic training course, which is compulsory for all new recruits, was revised and restructured to give it a human rights focus, which differs substantially from the one followed during a harsh military dispensation.
· An accelerated training programme for disadvantaged groups who were never given the opportunity to work as managers was instituted.
· In terms of labour relations the Public Service Labour Relations Act was made applicable to the Department for the first time. The Act provide for the establishment of a departmental bargaining chamber and the negotiation of recognition agreements. A new grievance and disciplinary procedure for the Department, in line with the requirements of the Labour Relations Act, 1995, was developed and ratified in the bargaining council.
· The Department developed a comprehensive policy on sexual harassment in line with the Labour Relations Act.
· After extensive consultations both internally and externally the Department accepted improved service level standards as part of the Batho Pele campaign.
· A new release policy, consistent with both the new Correctional Services Act and Criminal Procedure Act, was developed and finalized during 1997. The new release policy recognise the basic rights of the victim to empowerment by providing for victims to attend and express an opinion during parole hearings.
· A new privilege system for prisoners was instituted on 1 November 1998. The system aims to minimize corruption and bribery and to ensure a safe and disciplined prison environment.
· An independent judicial inspectorate and an Independent Prison Visitors Scheme headed by a judge was created to oversee, as an independent person, the Department's activities in the interest of prisoners and for purposes of transparency. An anti-corruption office was established in which both personnel and the public can provide incidents of corruption to be investigated.
· Prison escapes were drastically reduced from an average of I 200 to 498 in 1998. The first Closed Maximum Security Unit (C-Max) was erected to house potential escapees and criminals considered as being a danger to society.
· The building of eight new modern prisons has reduced the rate of overcrowding and that of escapes. The Department adopted the unit management approach in the design of all new prisons. This means that the building is structured in such a way that the units comprise forty prisoners who are directly supervised by single member at any given time. All the services are provided within the unit.
· The Department initiated a research project on the viability of the use of electronic monitoring of persons on parole and under correctional supervision. Indications are that electronic monitoring will contribute to a more effective control of offenders placed under community corrections.
· To cater for youths, the Department established 12 Youth Correctional Development Facilities countrywide, where special emphasis is placed on the development and support of young offenders.
· With regard to health and physical care, the Department's health policy has also been reviewed in line with the policy guidelines of the White Paper on the Transformation of the Health System, 1997. The development of guidelines on the management of HIV/AIDS resulted in prisoners receiving education and counselling and the issuing of condoms.
· The availability of psychological services to prisoners was increased by the appointment of personnel with honours degrees in psychology as counsellors, who work under close supervision of qualified psychologists.
· To make social work services available to more prisoners the Department expanded the social work establishment during 1997 from 205 to 435.
· A number of new education programmes were implemented to counter the high level of illiteracy among prisoners. The Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) programme is presented at four different levels ranging from literacy level to grade nine. Multimedia computer based training centres were established where prisoners are trained in basic computer skills. The quality of life of inmates was also improved by providing training and sporting equipment.
· Religious Care was extended to meet the religious and spiritual needs of more prisoners in line with the requirements of the Constitution. The Department also boasts the appointment of the first female chaplain.
· The institution of proper management of the Department's Industries has resulted in the turnaround of a loss of R1 ,6 million in 1994/95 to a profit of R13,8 million in 1997/98.
· The Department also made a notable contribution to the enhancement of small to medium enterprises particularly from disadvantaged communities. Contracts awarded to these enterprises increased from R14 million to R63 million from 1997 to 1998.
· The Department has also taken strides in the use of information technology. To ensure easy access by personnel, all the departmental key documents such as the strategic planning document and others are available on the Internet and Intranet.
· Since the establishment of South Africa's first democracy, new doors have opened for the Department in the international corrections environment. Representatives of the Department attended numerous international symposiums, conferences and congresses and our participation is eagerly sought after.
FUTURE POSITIONING OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
My department will continue to sharpen goals already achieved, and in the next five years we will endeavour to achieve the following.
1. The five year building plan will be restructured to accommodate the building of smaller prisons. In future minimum prisons will house up to 200 inmates, while medium prisons will house between 800 and 1500 inmates, and large prisons 2000 and up. We plan to utilize all these buildings to the maximum.
2. The finalization of electronic monitoring as part of our community corrections programme, will also be a top priority.
3. As you are aware the PDA's for private prisons have already been signed and these prisons will be built at Louis Trichardt and Bloemfontein in accordance with the Asset Procurement and Partnership Project.
4. A joint venture with private companies to improve the capacity and opportunities for prisoners to work will also receive priority.
5. We intend to involve prisoners in community projects wherever possible, in the interest of society.
6. The completion of our first Super Maximum prison at Kokstad is envisaged during the course of next year.
7. A female facility which will cater for women with young children is also in the pipeline.
8. The use of tele-medicine and the constructing of a prison hospital staffed by the Department will reduce medical costs which will mean that prisoners will not have to make use of private hospitals.
9. We are also establishing a halfway house at Devon, which will be a pilot project in which the community will also be involved.
10. Community safety remains a top priority and therefor every effort will be made to curb escapes.
11. More employment opportunities will be created through the phasing out of overtime in the Department. This will create capacity for the employment of approximately 7000 additional staff.
12. Opportunities for the empowerment of women will also be a priority as well as improving the situation of the disabled.
13. Every effort will be made to reduce the prison population through diversion programmes and parole supervision.
14. We will keep abreast of the best prison practices internationally and gather information and ideas from other countries.
15. We fully support the African Renaissance and we will expand our ties with African countries. We intend to position ourselves in such a way that we will be pivotal in improving prisons administration in the region through the formation of an African Correctional Association.
THANK YOU