Question NW3366 to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
18 October 2022 - NW3366
Yako, Ms Y to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
Whether, in view of the fact that correctional service centres generate lots of food from farming and making furniture, there is any plan in place that will see to it that the system produces for the rest of the Republic, thereby insourcing the skills and turning it into a state-owned entity; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
The department is currently implementing the Strategic Framework on Self-sufficiency and sustainability (launched 01 April 2021), with the aim to increase the generation of food and other products. This is derived from the Correctional Services Act Section 3(2)(b) of the Correctional Services Act, Act No. 111 of 1998 as amended: “the department must as far as practicable be self-sufficient and operate according to business principles”.
DCS embarked on a process to incrementally increase self-produce food stuff and provide furniture and other products for own use and as ordered by other government departments. However, we have not been able to provide 100% in all of the needs of the inmates. The following progress has been recorded since the launch of the Strategic Framework on Self-sufficiency and sustainability:
- Vegetables from DCS farms, we recorded an 89% self-sufficiency;
- Fruit 78;
- Red meat and pork in access of 90%; &
- 100% self-sufficient in provisioning of eggs for inmate meals (ration)
This is an ongoing process of DCS investing in machinery and equipment in order to increase the level of sufficiency with the aim to eventually provide for the majority of food and other products to be used and or consumed by inmates.
Research is being conducted regarding the possibility and capacity to in source completely, which will then guide the possibility to provide outside of DCS.
END