Transforming prisons into correctional centres - places of new beginnings

1. DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES BRIEFING TO PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE 27 AUGUST 2004 KWAZULU/NATAL Transforming prisons into correctional centres - places of new beginnings

2. Purpose of the presentation • The presentation focuses on aspects concerning • the Kwazulu/Natal Region relating to the following: • Operational Plan Implementation • Extent of Overcrowding • Security and Safety • Education • Production • Correction, Development & Care Interventions • Health • Personnel • Anti-corruption Department of Correctional Services – Kwazul/atal

3. Operational Plan Implementation • KEY STRATEGIES: • Administration • Focus Areas are Fraud & Anti-Corruption, • Compliance with policies, Employee Wellness Plan, • HR Development; • Security • Focus Areas are the Safety & Security of inmates, • members and visitors as well as addressing escapes; • Corrections • Focus Areas are the full implementation of Unit • Management, establishing Centres of Excellence, • the implementation of the White Paper principles & • Act 111 of 1998; Department of Correctional Services

4. Operational Plan Implementation • KEY STRATEGIES continued: • Care • Focus areas include determining baselines to • address the gaps in present Care programmes • offered to inmates and probationers/parolees to • enhance rehabilitation and accessible Health Care; • Development • Focus area are to improve the educational level of • inmates through ABET, formal and skills • development training at Production Workshop, • Asset Maintenance and on Farming Centres; Department of Correctional Services

5. Operational Plan Implementation • KEY STRATEGIES continued: • After Care • The main focus areas are • Facilitate the successful re-integration of offenders into • the community through needs based programmes, • supervision & monitoring; • To meet with the Judiciary to encourage the use of • Community Corrections as an alternative sentencing option • to address over-crowding; • Facilities • The focus areas include identifying and registering the • need for facilities requiring upgrading that are geared to • enhance the White paper principles and to provide for • office accommodation needs; Department of Correctional Services

6. Extent of Overcrowding - KZN Inmate Totals as at 31 July 2004 35000 Actual Accommodation 30000 30155 162% 25000 Approved Accommodation 20000 18566 15000 Maximums 10000 6476 5000 Department of Correctional Services 0

7. Extent of Overcrowding Inmate Totals as at 31 July 2004 –KZN Department of Correctional Services

8. There is presently a critical overcrowding of Awaiting • Trial Detainees (ATD’s) at: • Durban Medium A at 214% • Estcourt at 211% • Empangeni Medium at 171% • Strategies to reduce overcrowding include: • Liaison with the IJS to apply plea bargaining and admission of guilt instead of referral to DCS; • Application of Section 63(a) and 72(1) of Criminal Procedure Act to release under Community Corrections and bails less than R1000; • Applying section 62(f) by Justice to refer ATD’s under Community Corrections instead of referral to Correctional Centres; Department of Correctional Services Extent of Overcrowding – ATD’s

9. Extent of Overcrowding Sentenced Offenders • There is presently a critical overcrowding of Sentenced • Offenders at: • Durban Medium B at 247% • Waterval Medium A at 188% • Waterval Medium B at 155% • Port Shepstone at 227% • Strategies to reduce such overcrowding include: • Offenders with approved parole dates released asap; • Conversion of sentences according to minimum periods to Community Corrections; • Monthly monitoring of accommodation totals to facilitate transfers where possible; Department of Correctional Services

10. Security and Safety of Inmates Escapes - 1995 to 2004 Department of Correctional Services

11. Security and Safety of Inmates • SUICIDES - Inmates • During 2003two(2) suicides occurred namely one at Sevontein and the other at Durban Medium B; • During the course of 2004 one suicide has occurred at Pietermaritzburg; Department of Correctional Services

12. Security and Safety of Inmates Prison Violence - Assaults Department of Correctional Services

13. Involvement of Inmates in Education - KZN Department of Correctional Services

14. CHALLENGES Filling of vacant posts Need for additional Classrooms Assessor Training to all staff members ABET Training to new appointees PLANS Appointments are being presently finalised Needs have been registered with H/O 80% Staff have been trained Rotary Club funding for ABET Training Department of Correctional Services Involvement of inmates – Education

15. FARMING ACTIVITIES • 429 Inmates are involved with Agricultural activities at • Glencoe, Sevontein, Waterval and Ncome which • includes vegetable, piggery, dairy, beef, egg-laying; • According to a Regional Farm plan, targets are set • to improve agricultural production to enhance self- • sufficiency and to focus on the training of 670 offenders in • agricultural skills; Department of Correctional Services Involvement of inmates - Production

16. CHALLENGES The main challenge during the present financial year is water restrictions due to the drought at the farming activity centres especially at Ncome; Stock Theft Agricultural Technician vacancies PLANS This has been addressed by moving activities/ livestock to those centres that can accommodate the functions 15 Members have been trained by SAPS in stock control measures Vacant posts have been reported to be filled Involvement of inmates – Production (Farming) Department of Correctional Services

17. PRODUCTION WORKSHOP • 87 Inmates are involved in the Textile Production Workshop • in Durban ; • The Textile Production Workshop focusses on training • inmates in the following aspects: • Basic Sewing Skills Manufacturing Garments • Pattern Layout & cutting Occupational Health and Safety • Garments are manufactured for other Correctional Centres • according to an annual production schedule based on • the needs registered – 65 855 garments are scheduled for • the 2004/2005 financial year compared to 45 100 of the • previous financial year; Department of Correctional Services Involvement of inmates - Production

18. CHALLENGES The un-availability of material – existing material will only last until end of September 2004 Other training courses such as ABET and formal education training courses limit the hours available to work in the Production Workshop PLANS Needs have been registered for an additional 50 000 m of material Workshop hours have been adapted to commence at 09H00 instead of at 07H30 to accommodate other courses Involvement of inmates – Production Workshop - Durban Department of Correctional Services

19. CHALLENGES Vacancies at the Pietermaritzburg Production are to be filled – ie. Area Coordinator post/Artisans as trainers; Only the Textile Section has been operating, whereas the facility provides for Wood- and Steelworks; PLANS The need to fill the post has been registered as critical with H/O On 04-08-13 the Pietermaritzburg Production Workshop was identified as a focus area for establishing Centres of Excellence in the Region Involvement of inmates – Production Workshop - Pietermaritzburg Department of Correctional Services

20. Corrections and Development & Care Interventions • Correctional & Care Interventions • On average 6000 offenders are involved in intervention • programmes per month; • The following are generic programmes being offered: • Marriage & Family Care Life Skills • Alcohol & Drug Abuse Orientation • Sexual Offender Programme Aggressive Offender Programme • Trauma Counselling HIV/AIDS Programme • Pre-release Programme • Parenting Programme – mostly Female Inmates Department of Correctional Services

21. Challenges Shortage of resources Priority focus on security hampers rehabilitation efforts Insufficient community participation Plans Utilisation of casual staff/external volunteers where possible Team approach is encouraged Marketing of DCS to community structures Auditing of programmes offered by external organisations to adopt a structured approach Regional meetings with external service providers Corrections and Development & Care Interventions

22. Programmes/Interventions offered to inmates: * Health Promotion and awareness campaigns to inmates such as Personal Hygiene, Chronic Diseases, Communicable & Sexually Transmitted infections diseases and Healthy Living programmes; * HIV/AIDS Counselling, and awareness campaigns; * Anti-retroviral Drugs treatment – inmates are referred to external public hospitals as the DCS was not included within the National Programme in terms of needs analysis and funding; * Serving of three meals in accordance with Act 111 of 1998 – implemented at 70% of centres in the Region and in the process of further implementation; Health of Inmates

23. CHALLENGES Shortage of Health Care personnel Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists especially in rural areas PLANS Offenders have been trained as Peer Educators at centres, External role-players are utilised to sensitize inmates on health issues, 2 Pharmacists are serving community service in DCS Contract Pharmacists are appointed where possible Department of Correctional Services Health of Inmates

24. CHALLENGES Shortage of trained HIV/AIDS counsellors; DCS was not accommodated in National ARV Roll-out Programme Attracting and retraining services of Health Care professionals PLANS Need is registered with KZN Dept of Health to second lay Counsellors to DCS; The needs are registered with Dep of Health – in the interim public external Hospitals are utilised This is a National challenge & proposals have been submitted to H/O to register with DPSA Department of Correctional Services Health of Inmates continued

25. Personnel - Work Conditions • Work Conditions • Restructuring has brought about a need for office • accommodation at Regional and Management Area levels; • Overcrowding in centres creates an un-safe environment • and limits the effectual presentation of intervention • programmes to inmates due to staff shortages; • The gross staff shortages has lead to a situation where • numerous members are acting in posts after restructuring • during 2003 and who are also required to deal with the • post demands of their posts in which they were placed • after restructuring, leading to lack of continuity in the job • performance and negatively influencing productivity; Department of Correctional Services

26. Challenges No induction orientation or exit programmes; No promotion policy especially at levels 3 to 6; Uncertainty about future of overtime; Low housing and Medical Aid subsidies; No exiting Career development and career pathing programmes Plans The majority of the concerns are included in a newly developed Employee Wellness Plan for the Region to be addressed however more Employee Assistance Practitioners are necessary to assist with the low morale where possible; National HRD Strategy is in the process of being developed; Personnel - Staff Morale Department of Correctional Services

27. Challenges Sufficiently trained Chairpersons and Initiators to deal with disciplinary hearings Outstanding disciplinary hearing – as at end July there were 55 outstanding Plans Training for Initiating & Chairing appeal hearings has been provided to 16 members 19 Members have been trained as Investigating Officers; This is monitored monthly by Corporate Services; During Regional Management Board this issue is discussed and Area Commissioners are required to deal with all cases older than 3 months by a set due date; Personnel - Discipline Department of Correctional Services

28. Personnel – Training of Members April – June 2004 Department of Correctional Services

29. Personnel – Training of Members April – June 2004 continued Department of Correctional Services

30. Challenges All Management Areas do not have Trainers – vacant posts; Insufficient budget allocated according to HRD Business Plan Plans Personnel are sent to the Management Area for training where courses are being offered; Only certain training can be offered according to allocated funds Personnel – Training of Members April – June 2004 continued Department of Correctional Services

31. Anti-Corruption Strategy - KZN Department of Correctional Services • In order to address corruption the following measures are being implemented: • To reduce audit queries – monthly control is being exercised; • A financial risk-management plan is being compiled focusing on identified risk areas emanating from audit queries; • Non-compliance to policies and procedures is being addressed through the implementation of a monthly checklist system;

32. Thank you Department of Correctional Services