PRETORIA, June 24 (ANA) – “Unbecoming behaviour” by offenders in South Africa’s prisons will not be tolerated, the correctional services department (DCS) said on Saturday.
The department had noted with grave concern “sporadic media reports of offenders serving life sentences (lifers) threatening to cause chaos in correctional centres due to systematic delays in processing parole placements”, spokesman Singabakho Nxumalo said.
Government had made significant strides in improving the administration of the country’s correctional system, particularly in improving the parole system since the dawn of democracy in 1994.
“Testimony to this is the recent paper on the repositioning of parole tabled by [the] DCS, aimed at ensuring that the human rights of offenders is entrenched. Unbecoming behaviour in correctional centres can never be allowed and the department will act with vigour in order to ensure that there is no dereliction from the core mandate of enhancing public safety through effective, and humane, incarceration of inmates as well as their rehabilitation and social reintegration,” he said.
South Africa was facing spiralling levels of serious and violent crime. Therefore, government had adopted a no-nonsense stance in dealing with crime. As a result, in the past 13 years (2003 – 2016) the number of offenders sentenced to imprisonment of 20 years and more increased by a staggering 439 percent, while lifers grew by 413 percent. This meant there had to be stringent processes in dealing with the growing numbers of lifers and their consideration for parole placement, Nxumalo said.
The department had been transparent and had publicly communicated on the backlogs in processing parole applications for lifers sentenced before October 1, 2004, whose minimum detention period was reduced as a result of the 2011 North Gauteng High Court Van Wyk judgment.
On various occasions, the department had stated that it was speeding up the recruitment of professionals such as psychologists and social workers, while staff training was beefed up to ensure a smoother and faster parole process. Part of the process included these professionals converging in one place to speedily deal with the backlogs and submit all cases for further handling.
“It is therefore mischievous of some lifers to use dubious means in coercing other inmates to cause chaos. Stability in our correctional facilities is of utmost importance and cannot be compromised,” Nxumalo said.
Correctional Services National Commissioner Zach Modise said any form of activism and unbecoming behaviour by offenders in correctional centres could never be allowed. “While it is understood that offenders have the right to raise concerns it cannot be acceptable that they disrupt operations without any consequences. Safety and security is of paramount importance,” said Modise.
It was further disheartening to receive reports of parolees involved in criminal activities in and around Pretoria’s Sunnyside area, Nxumalo said.
“The department wishes to warn and condemn in the strongest terms those who are involved in these acts of crime that parole is not a right but a privilege, and it does not mean the end of a sentence.
“Parole policies clearly stipulate that parolees must comply with parole conditions and failure in this regard will lead to further imprisonment. Non-adherence to parole conditions compromises the rehabilitation efforts of the department. It is therefore critical for law enforcement agencies, families, and communities to work with [the] DCS and ensure that those who violate their parole conditions are dealt with speedily,” Nxumalo said.
– African News Agency (ANA)
