Department Budget and Strategic Plan: Briefing by Minister

Meeting report

CORRECTIONAL SERVICES PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
10 March 2005
DEPARTMENT BUDGET AND STRATEGIC PLAN: BRIEFING BY MINISTER

Chairperson: Mr D Bloem (ANC)

Documents handed out:

Department Strategic Plan 2004/05 – 2006/07
Department Strategic Plan presentation
Department Budget
Department Budget presentation

SUMMARY
Minister Balfour's comments to the Committee included an acknowledgement that management skills in his Department would have to be improved and that in his view, private prisons did not add value and contracts with the private prison were being reviewed. He also said that protocols would have to be developed within the departmental cluster to reduce prison overcrowding.

The Department presented its Budget and its five-year Strategic Plan. Focus areas are the White Paper on Corrections, the Seven-Day Establishment, Correctional Supervision and Parole Boards and Overcrowding. Key objectives were identified within the following categories: Administration, Security, Corrections, Care, Development, After Care, Facilities. The Department explained that the projected budget increase would be minimal. Members questioned sections of the budget such as why the initial implementation of the seven-day week would initially cost more. Due to time constraints, the Department agreed to answer most of the questions in writing.

MINUTES

Strategic Plan briefing
The Executive Manager in the Office of the Commissioner, Mr T Motseki, presented the Strategic Plan of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) which focuses on five priorities within a five-year plan. These priorities are:

· White Paper on Corrections:
DCS aims to develop best practice in implementing the White Paper by piloting implementation through Centers of Excellence in each region during 2005/06
· Seven-Day Establishment
DCS is in the process of phasing out the costly overtime system for essential weekend services and replacing it with a seven day working week. Current plans aim at April 2005.
· Correctional Supervision and Parole Boards
Implementation of Community Supervision and Parole Boards (CSPB) to be constituted by community members, officials from DCS and co-opted officials from SAPS and Department of Justice.
· Overcrowding
Erection of new Correctional Centers and Additional 12000 bed spaces will decrease the current overcrowding from 72.1% to 58% in the year 2007/08 White Paper on Corrections

Its long-term objectives within the following areas were then outlined: Administration, Security, Corrections, Care, Personal Development, After Care, Facilities. These objectives included eradicating corruption; improving management of all correctional centres; improving human resources capacity; improving DCS involvement in intergovernmental relations; providing public protection through the prevention of escapes and improving security, providing programmes aimed at pre-release, effective supervision and reintegration of offenders into communities (see document).

Discussion
The Chairperson noted that this meeting should have taken place on 8 March 2005. However, an urgent meeting called by the Deputy President had caused a misunderstanding and postponement. He apologised for this.

The Chairperson commented that the Strategic Plan was very ambitious. He asked if any timeframes had been decided on to implement this plan. He asked for an explanation on how the Department’s management style would be improved and if the private prisons could be used as youth centres.

Commissioner Mti responded that such an ambitious plan was required to improve the Department. This was necessary as rumours of the Department lagging behind in terms of transformation had been heard. He explained that poor management was to blame for the bad state of the Department. A technical team had been appointed to advise on the best use for these private prisons.

Mr J Selfe (DA) asked what the percentage target was in terms of reducing escapes. Which deadlines of the previous strategic plan had not been met and how have these deadlines had been adapted in this plan.

Mr Motseki stated that the target was set at 10% and that due to the extension of the plan from three years to five years some plans would overlap.

Mr C Molefe (ANC) asked if the extension of the plan from three to five years would increase the possibility of the plan being viewed as yet another cut-and-paste exercise. Would skills gained by inmates be accredited? What criteria would be used to determine which inmates required financial assistance?

Commissioner Mti replied that in some cases a budget roll-over was expected. Due to the particular format of report writing some reports may appear to be a cut-and-paste exercise when they were not. The Department would be looking at accrediting skills in all centres. The financial assistance referred to was not in the form of money but rather to promote access to resources equitably.

Mr N Fihla (ANC) suggested that the goal of reducing overcrowding to 58% from 72.1% was over ambitious. He noted that overcrowding could not be solved by the construction of prisons only and suggested the other departments in the cluster had to be involved.

Commissioner Mti agreed that overcrowding could not be solved by constructing new prisons alone and that indeed the rest of the cluster would be involved to remedy this problem.

Department budget briefing
Department Chief Financial Officer, Mr P Gillingham, noted that the baseline allocation for the past financial year 2004/05 had increased by 11.8%. The increase for 2005/6, 2006/7 and 2007/8 would increase minimally by 9.2%; 7.9% and 10.2% respectively. The majority of the budget would be spent on administration, security and facilities. The most notable changes to the personnel budget was the introduction of a new housing allowance, a decrease in the pension contribution by the Department, the Medcor medical contribution by the Department would be reduced by one third and the overtime allocation based on a six-day week. The construction of new correctional centres would also form a major part of the budget. The establishment of a seven-day establishment and the reduction of overtime was identified as the main cost drivers (see document).

Discussion
Mr Selfe asked why the allocation for overtime salaries had increased even through the Department had initiated the first phase of the seven-day week.

Commissioner Mti explained that with the initial phase of a six-day week more members would initially receive overtime and therefore there would be an initial increase in overtime salary.

Ms L Chikunga (ANC) asked if it had been communicated to the staff that a seven-day week was being phased in. Had timeframes been set for restructuring and for filling vacancies in the Department? She asked if the Department had a control policy for their vehicles. What were the communication problems experienced?

Commissioner Mti responded that staff in the Department had a culture of not reading and writing. Poor management had also contributed to poor communication. He explained that the unions had caused delays in the recruitment process. He would have to get back to Ms Chikunga with the information on the vehicles.

Mr Fihla asked for an explanation on why such a large increase in animal production had been planned for in the budget.

Commissioner Mti answered that these animals were meant to aid the prison in becoming self-sufficient.

Mt S Mahote (ANC) asked if the bathroom facilities in prison would be upgraded and if the inmates were receiving three meals daily.

Mr S Moatshe (ANC) asked if parole boards had been established in all provinces. He suggested that something would have to be done about the poor management within the Department. What was the Department's plan for reducing the transport issues experienced by families wanting to visit inmates in other provinces and how would violence be reduced in prisons.

Ms M Makgate (ANC) asked if the results of the anti-corruption audit were available. What was the Department doing about the abuse of sick leave? What had been done to ensure that tenders received for BEE were not tendered by ‘fronting’ corporations?

Mr L Tolo (ANC) asked what the projected cost for the construction of new prisons would be. Who had tendered for the construction of the new prisons?

Ms Chikunga asked which tools would be used to inspect care programmes. Were anti-retrovirals available in all centres. Did Department nurses with ‘scarce skills’ receive extra rural allowances? Had these nurses been trained in primary health care? What was the household budget for? Was there a plan for the retention of scarce skills?

Mr Tolo asked about the capacity of the new generation prison and when the tender process would begin.

Mr Moatshe asked how the establishment of unit managers would affect the budget.

Mr Makgate asked if there was an estimate of the amount of skilled workers leaving the Department.

Commissioner Mti responded that due to time constraints his Department would respond in writing to these questions. [PMG will add the written DCS response here once it is provided]

Minister Balfour’s comments
Minister Balfour commented that the 42% of the budget allocation allocated to Head Office had been broken down for the Committee’s convenience. He agreed that the management skills in his Department would have to be improved. No feasibility study had been done with regard to the private prisons but, in his view, they did not add value. The contracts with the private prison were being reviewed. He agreed that construction alone would not reduce overcrowding. Protocols would have to be developed within the departmental cluster to reduce overcrowding.

The Department would be migrating from Medcor, which was problematic, to JAMMS, the state medical aid. Agreement had been reached with the unions on all issues except for dismissals. Parole boards had been established in all provinces except for the Western Cape. Constant communication with Members would be maintained in an attempt to improve communication. He agreed that a policy around the use of vehicles would be required. Head Office staff would go out and assist staff in improving their service as a hands-on approach was required.

The meeting was adjourned.