Question NW1123 to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
05 May 2023 - NW1123
Msimang, Prof CT to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
Considering that according to reports a total of 117 inmates escaped from correctional facilities in the 2020/21 financial year, whilst a total of 34 inmates broke out of correctional facilities in the 2019/20 financial year, what steps are being taken by his department towards (a) strengthening prison security and (b) preventing escapes from occurring?
Reply:
a) The following steps are taken to strengthen security within Correctional Centres:
- Monitoring of the Gang Combatting Strategy and check list;
- Dealing with complaints and requests immediately;
- Protect whistle-blowers/ inmates that provide reliable information;
- Ensure through searching which includes amongst others, cells, bars, windows, inmates and officials, service providers and visitors are conducted daily and recorded on relevant registers;
- The continuous training and adherence to all security Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs);
- Matter of potential escape incidents be elevated to National Joint Operations and Intelligence Structures (Nat Joints/ PROVJOINTS) and other law enforcement structures – to formulate more dynamic and integrated approach;
- Create a data base to record potential escapees/ ex-escapees and attempted escapees;
- Continuous search and clean-up operations.
b) Measures put in place to curtail incidents of escapes are as follows:
- Continuous training of officials on identification and profiling of gangs;
- Monitoring of the escape prevention plan;
- Reduce overcrowding by the implementation of the multi-prong strategy;
- Prevent idleness by subjecting inmates to sports, recreational programmes, social and physiological services;
- Establishment of a well-resourced information gathering teams at centre level to prevent escapes.
END