State-of-the Nation Address: deliberations

Correctional Services

15 February 2005
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Meeting report

CORRECTIONAL SERVICES PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
15 February 2005
STATE-OF-THE NATION ADDRESS: DELIBERATIONS

Chairperson:

Mr D Bloem (ANC)

Documents handed out:
None

SUMMARY
Members discussed how the President’s address had affected their responsibilities for the coming year. Discussion around the problems of overcrowding and children in prisons led to suggestions of co-operation with the Departments of Safety and Security, as well as Justice and Social Welfare. These other departments needed to be made aware of the current situation in prisons and greater co-operation between departments needed to be initiated.

MINUTES
Ms L Chikunga referred to concerns raised by the President in his speech, such as that of gender imbalances, which still remained, and that of general tardiness and negligence in public services. The Department had to get involved with the Batho Pele campaign.

Ms S Rwexana (ANC) said that the Department had good policies, but that implementation was poor due to lack of resources. The President had referred to capacity-building in his speech. The lack of facilities for youth in prisons was still a major challenge and communities needed to get involved in resolving these issues. The Department had to build relationships with communities in order to facilitate greater involvement. A holistic approach was still lacking and government departments should be working together.

Mr N Fihla (ANC) had witnessed a project in Port Elizabeth, where the Departments of Justice, Safety and Security and Correctional Services were closely involved in screening each arrest made by the police. This system had greatly assisted in reducing the numbers of those being summarily imprisoned. This project should be extended countrywide.

Mr S Mahote (ANC) suggested that vacant government buildings be used for prisons.

Mr S Moatshe (ANC) said it was only a matter of time before prisoners released from prison were re-incarcerated. This cycle needed to be investigated in order to be broken. Skills acquired in prison had to applicable in the outside world and the Department had to make every effort to ensure that those released from prison were able to use those skills. The Department had to ensure that prisoners who had started their studies in prison, were able to continue those studies once they were released.

Mr E Xolo (ANC) said that there was not enough co-operation between stakeholders. Social Welfare needed to be closely involved with Justice in order to avoid unnecessary delays and unnecessary instances of imprisonment.

Mr Bloem reminded Members that the Committee’s primary focus was to get children out of prisons. This concern had been raised in the State-of-the-Nation address. The Department found itself at the receiving end of a process initiated by Justice and had very little control over the outcome and therefore the number of people being incarcerated. Magistrates seemed to have little awareness of the problems with which the Department was beset, and needed to become more sensitive to the repercussions of their actions. The Committee should consider setting up a meeting with the relevant bodies.

Mr S Swart (ACDP) said that this would apply mostly to district courts, since regional courts were involved in prosecuting more serious crimes. There was the Association of Magistrates, as well as the Magistrates’ Commission, which could be requested to meet with the Committee.

Ms Rwexana said it might be advisable to first meet as a cluster with Police and Safety and Security, in order to deal with the issue thoroughly. Ms S Seaton (IFP) said that Social Welfare had to included as well.

Mr Bloem said that a meeting of the Correctional Services provincial cluster had been requested some time ago and had not yet occurred. The Minister should become involved in expediting the meeting of the relevant clusters, as the matter required urgent attention by the Departments of Safety and Security and Justice, since these departments had the greatest impact on Correctional Services.

Mr Fihla said that the Chief Whip should instruct the relevant departments to discuss a holistic strategy to deal with these issues.

Mr J Selfe (DA) cautioned that the Department had to be very clear about its objectives in order to make these meetings productive and useful. He reminded Members that a meeting would be taking place on 1 March, to which the various Chairs or Portfolio Committees could be invited.

Mr Bloem agreed with this proposal. The President had mentioned an increase in salaries of the police, but not that of the Department of Correctional Services. He suggested the Portfolio Committee invite the Minister to explain this after the Budget. The Department was faced with building four new prisons and he advised that the Committee visit these sites in Kimberley, the Northern Cape and Leeuwkop. The Committee had to remain actively involved in alleviating the plight of children in prisons. Their greatest challenge was the work of the courts. Members should also meet the new recruits from the Colleges at Kroonstad and Sonderwater, before they were deployed into the Department.

The meeting was adjourned.
 

 

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