Question NW3808 to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

Reply:

(1)(a) Eastern Cape Region is providing needs based Social Work, Psychological Services, Spiritual Care, Education and Training, Production Workshops and Agriculture programmes including 13 correctional programmes aimed at creating awareness and life skills to sentenced offenders in all correctional centres nationally including EC.

i) Sentenced Offenders	ii) Remand Offenders
Management Area	Education Programmes Offered	Number of Offenders attending	Remand Centre	Education Programmes Offered	Number of Offenders attending
East London	AET L1 -  L4	120	N/A	N/A	N/A
Kirkwood	AET L1 -  L4	52	N/A	N/A	N/A
Amathole	AET L1 -  L4	86	N/A	N/A	N/A
Sada	AET L1 -  L4	128	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Grade 10 - 12	87	N/A	N/A	N/A
St. Albans	AET L1 -  L4	152	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Grade 10 - 12	19	N/A	N/A	N/A
Mthatha	AET L1 -  L4	104	N/A	N/A	N/A

(1)(a)(ii) Remand Detainees (RDs) are participating in information sharing and awareness programmes which are rendered by Social Workers, Psychologists and Health Care professionals.

RDs who were schooling during the time of incarceration are provided with the necessary education material for continuation of programmes

(1)(b)(i) Religious Services are rendered to all inmates as well as on a needs-based individual pastoral services and church services are conducted in all correctional centres. The following religious services are rendered at the Correctional Centres:

• Church/Faith Services,
• Group Sessions,
• Individual Pastoral Counseling Sessions,
• Prayer meetings and Bible/Religious studies

Group work programmes like anger management, heartlines, cross roads are some of the programmes that are rendered to offenders.

((1)(b)(ii) In addition to the RDs, Group Work Programmes like anger management, heartlines, cross roads are some of the programmes that are rendered by DCS taking to consideration that some are first time offenders and being in confined space may have a negative impact.

(2) Section 73(3) of the Criminal Procedure Act, Act 51 of 1977 relates to assistance for criminal proceedings and not correctional programmes. The section reads as follows:

• ‘In addition to the provisions of sections 3 (g), 38 (2), 44 (1) (b) and 65 of the Child Justice Act, 2008 (Act 75 of 2008),relating to the assistance of an accused who is under the age of eighteen years by his or her parent, an appropriate adult or a guardian at criminal proceedings, any accused who, in the opinion of the court, requires the assistance of another person at criminal proceedings, may, with the permission of the court, be so assisted at such proceedings.’

(3) There are currently no additional programmes other than those that are rendered by DCS except Spiritual Care.

END.