Question NW1409 to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Service
09 June 2023 - NW1409
Marais, Ms P to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Service
What steps of intervention has he taken to ensure that female inmates at the East London Maximum Correctional facility are provided with educational programmes as none are currently provided?
Reply:
All offenders including maximum offenders have access to rehabilitation programmes as stated in the Correctional Services Act, 111 of 1998. Section 41 states that the Department must provide or give access to as full a range of programmes and activities, including needs-based programmes, as is practicable to meet the educational and training needs of sentenced offenders.
The following education programmes are offered- Adult Education and Training (AET) Levels 1-4: This is equivalent to Grades 1-9 in normal mainstream education and it is for offenders who want to pursue studies in the General Education and Training (GET) Band; Further Education and Training (FET): Offenders are given an opportunity to pursue Grade 12; Higher Education and Training (HET) and to advance their education through distant education. In this instance, they are assisted with registration at various institutions of higher learning at their own cost.
East London Female Correctional Centre incarcerates 312 females’ offenders. There are 55 female offenders who are classified as maximums. Of these 55, there are 12 offenders that are currently participating in the GET programme and 2 are busy with amended Senior Certificate programme.
A support visit to East London is planned for 3 August 2023 as part of Women`s Month with the aim of marketing the various education programmes and providing resource support to female offenders. Further to this, a directive compelling all offenders 30 years and below who have not attained Grade 9 or AET level 4, to attend development programmes has been issued.
END