Question NW4262 to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

Reply:

a) The following are measures put in place to ensure safety of communities when offender is on parole:

• Monitoring and supervision of probationers, parolees and awaiting trial persons under the system of Community Corrections is a human capital-intensive activity.

• All offenders placed under the system of community corrections are subjected to the Admission Risk Reclassification tool to determine the level of supervision unless stated otherwise by Court/ Correctional Supervision and Parole Board (CSPB).

• Risk profile assessment conducted to determine the risks, assessed when the static and dynamic factors have changed that necessitate re-assessment. When the offender committed a serious offence, the tool identifies a whole range of static and dynamic factors for which a score is allocated individually and the score determine some factors that might requires intervention and referrals. Final score within a pre-determined range will then result in the probationer or parolee being classified as a high, medium or low risk.

• The day to day monitoring is enhanced through allocation of resources for physical monitoring, office consultation, telephone monitoring where applicable, community service and programme attendance, (2021/2022 sufficient vehicles 518) were allocated and distributed to all community corrections offices within the regions to ensure successful monitoring in all areas).

• The monitoring category for every offender under the system of Community Corrections is determined by the predicted risk of offenders from High (minimum 8 contacts), Medium (minimum 4 contacts) and Low Risk (minimum 2 contacts).

• Review by Supervision Committee: parolees attend sitting either every six months/ frequently depending on their length of their sentence to review their status, behaviour, reclassify or referred for intervention.

• When the offender violates any set condition, s/he is summoned to the office to provide reasons for non-compliance (the non-compliance is investigated).If reasons are of serious nature and not acceptable a verbal or written warning, referrals for Social work intervention /programmes are made.

• Partnership with relevant stakeholders and the establishment of 219 offices (rented and in state owned facilities, 57 satellite offices and Service Points for easy access of services contribute positively to the compliance with conditions, ensure visibility and strengthen the system of monitoring.

In ensuring successful reintegration and compliance to set conditions of parole and correctional supervision the following measures are emphasised:

• Integrated approach at District level and national department - Continuous consultations with traditional leaders, counsellors and relevant department to ensure that they assist the department during reintegration process to accelerate and augment monitoring through special monitoring were various stakeholders are invited during this exercise.
• Community engagement and awareness through Imbizo’s to orientate the community about the conditions of community corrections, encourage them to support the offenders during their releases, acceptance within their community.

It should be emphasised that irrespective of strict measures by the department to monitor the offenders and ensure compliance of conditions, some of the offender’s relapse into criminal behaviours due to change of circumstances after been released, rejection and stigma by their family and the community, lack of support system, unemployment and other social ills. Reintegration of offenders is a societal responsibility and the department cannot deal with the huge challenges without the involvement of other stake holders including other government department.

END.