Restructuring of Correctional Services: briefing

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SECURITY AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE

SECURITY AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE
24 June 2003
RESTRUCTURING OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES: BRIEFING

Chairperson:
Mr M Mokoena

Documents Handed out:
Presentation on the restructuring of the DCS

SUMMARY
The Department of Correctional Services updated the Committee on the restructuring of the Department. This was in the light of it strategic re-direction that will gear the Department towards correction and rehabilitation rather than punishment. It is also in the light of Resolution 7 of 2002 - the government programme for restructuring of all departments.

The Department's priorities this year are:
- Complete restructuring
- Human resource development
- Short-term and long-term action against corruption
- Improvement of compliance with current policies
- Finalising the White Paper document.

MINUTES
Presentation by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS)
Ms Shishuba, Deputy Commissioner for Development at DCS, led the presentation, reading through the presentation document looking at the strategic re-direction of the Department which now aimed at rehabilitation. She highlighted the fact that there was a need for a paradigm shift in order for the DCS to achieve their objectives of developing a culture of correction as opposed to that of punishment. She also pointed out the importance of external partners in this process.

Mr Mti, Commissioner for DCS, added that it was important to understand that the process of restructuring was not something that had been done in any prison as yet, but the position which the department is moving towards.

Mr Motseke, Executive Manager in the Office of the Commissioner, outlined the problems that the DCS was experiencing (see presentation document).

Discussion
Mr Mathee (NNP) pointed out that in their presentation, the DCS was missing the emphasis on the supervision of prisoners after parole and the issue of electronic monitoring. He also wanted to know how the success of rehabilitation was going to be measured.

The Commissioner pointed out that electronic monitoring was an instrument that did not really help with their objectives. The emphasis was on rehabilitation and not treating people like robots. It was a good idea but not in the South African context where there were other overwhelming problems such as prison overcrowding. He pointed out that it was only effective where there was electricity, which meant it could only work in urban areas. The pilot project had had a less than 20% success rate.

On the issue of rehabilitation, he said an instrument to measure its rate of success had not yet been developed. At the moment, the rate of recidivism, that is, prisoners returning to prisons, was 60% particularly those being held for less serious crimes. He pointed out that high security prisons for very serious crimes were not full.

On community supervision, he said the process of community corrections was currently not working properly. The community was not really playing any role yet - it was envisaged that families, neighbours and the community will be involved. Currently it is more the issue of DCS having to police this and getting offenders to report back to them.

Mr Maloyi (ANC) wanted to know how restructuring was going to affect the provincial commissioners. Did the DCS envisage a situation where staff members were going to lose their jobs and what was being done about them joining the statistics of the unemployed?

The Commissioner replied that at the moment the DCS was not envisaging losing personnel as they were understaffed. He pointed out that a national task team was set up to review the provincial reports on placements. He said some people were taking the DCS to court over placements. He pointed out that the process was not about promotions.

Mr Maloyi wanted to know who the DCS intended should lead the White Paper process - whether it was the Select Committee or the Portfolio Committee.

The Commissioner said that the point was that it must be led by Parliament and this included both the Select and Portfolio Committees. Mention of only the Portfolio Committee had been a mistake by the person making the presentation.

Ms Khondlo (ANC) asked what the potential was for redundant personnel. She also wanted to know what the Audit Committee's preliminary report on the Eastern Cape restructuring process was saying on the problem and concerns of staff members in the Eastern Cape. Also on the issue of consolidating management, would this include demarcating the country?

The Commissioner's response was that the issue of redundancy did not arise with DCS because it is currently short of personnel. Further, the department was still defining who they are - before taking on any more people.

On the consolidation of middle management, the Commissioner emphasised the fact that prisons were to remain where they are. The process was to improve capacity by consolidating the management of smaller prisons. He said the process was to be informed by prison population and not geography, for example, all of Limpopo's prisons total a prison population of 5 000 compared to Johannesburg where one prison houses 12 000 inmates. He said this was not in any way done to undermine the political demarcation of the country's nine provinces but because presently there was no congruence in the chain of command. The process has not yet been implemented.

Mr Motseke commented on the work of the Audit Committee in the Eastern Cape and the Preliminary Report and said that it was a blessing that it had been established. He pointed out that there could be similar problems in other areas and thus the Commissioner had set up a National Audit Committee. The committee had confirmed some of the allegations that had been raised.

Prince Zulu (ANC) wanted to know what was being done about the personnel implicated by the Jali Commission and how many of them there are. He also asked whether there were adequate numbers of social workers dealing with the prisoners.

The Commissioner said that the Jali Commission had submitted four interim reports on the probe into corruption in prisons. So far 40 people from 3 reports had been dismissed including the Eastern Cape provincial commissioner. Many others were facing disciplinary procedures. The process is not yet complete and the Commission has been given eight more months.

On the proportion of social worker to prisoners, he said there was problem and this was mainly due to the fact that they are losing personnel. This was due to the fact that these are persons with university degrees who are not being paid adequately. He also pointed out that in some cases they are young graduates who cannot cope with very intelligent prisoners. As an example, he cited a situation where a fresh university graduate is dealing with a person who has defrauded the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

Ms Shishuba added that the DCS had looked at the issue of the ratio of social workers to prisoners and agreed on a ratio of 1 - 240. However this was subject to funding - in order to get more social workers and to look at competitive remuneration to retain social workers.

The Chair referred back to the issue of recidivism and wanted to know what it is that attracted people back to prison.

The Commissioner said there was a need to properly research the issue, as there were broader socio-economic issues at play. He emphasised that they were not referring to habitual criminals but people who were drawn back into the life of crime by circumstances.

The Chair asked if restructuring was not going to lead to an outsourcing of some of the services

The Commissioner replied that they did not yet consider any of their activities as needing to be outsourced especially the core business of the DCS.

Mr Maloyi wanted to know how issues that were still outstanding were being addressed. He suggested that the DCS prepare a report that they can take back to their constituencies.

In closing, the Chair praised the DCS as one of the most reliable and organised departments in terms of presentations to Parliament.

The meeting was adjourned.

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