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Chairperson
Honourable Members and Delegates

Over the years Corrections has provided interesting examples of successful and creative programmes to assist offenders to re-integrate into society. When introducing the Correctional Services' debate in the National Assembly two weeks ago, I stated that my department was stepping up its campaign to put rehabilitation at the centre of all its activities. This was first and foremost as a result of the commitments we made to Cabinet Lekgotla of January 2001 where we identified rehabilitation as a key departmental objective. But secondly, it was also as a result of the Department's critical re-examination of its strategic role within the broader context of the criminal justice system coming out of its strategic planning session held on 17 to 19 April 2001.

As I stated in the National Assembly, our critical role within the broader criminal justice system is the reduction of recidivism through the provisioning of effective rehabilitation programmes. We are therefore engaged in a vigorous transformation of our approach toward rehabilitation, which will involve the strengthening of partnerships with the community to rehabilitate offenders and ensure their successful re-integration into the community.

When I addressed this august assembly last year, I remarked that the challenge facing us today is to strike an acceptable balance between the competing interests of public safety and offender care on the one hand and the rehabilitation of offenders on the other, within our budgetary constraints. The 8,8% increase, from an amount of R5,7 billion to R6,2 billion, in our budget is therefore welcome as a positive step in the right direction which puts us in a position to start the process of laying the foundation for directing more resources towards rehabilitation programmes.

The recent departmental strategic planning session identified the following strategies for the attainment of our key departmental objective to enhance rehabilitation programmes:

* The development of individualised need-based rehabilitation programmes.
* Marketing rehabilitation programmes to increase offender participation.
* Strengthening of partnerships with the community to widen the scope of application of rehabilitation programmes and to create a common understanding of the meaning of rehabilitation.
* Promoting a restorative approach to justice to create a platform for dialogue between the offender, the victim and the community to facilitate the healing process.
* Combating illiteracy in prison by providing ABET to offenders.
* Increasing prisoner generated goods and services to enhance the self-sufficiency of the prison system and to contribute towards poverty alleviation as well as the Government's Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme.
* Increasing training facilities for the development of offenders.

OVERCROWDING

The problem of overcrowding in our prisons persists. The interventions we employed in September and October of 2000, to release low risk awaiting-trial prisoners and advance the parole dates of certain categories, managed to reduce our prison population from 172 000 to 160 000. However, our latest statistics indicate that the figure has once again risen to above 170 000. This reduction strategy is therefore only effective if utilised on a continuous basis.

I did emphasise this point in the National Assembly Budget Vote Debate when I stated that there are no quick fixes to the problem of overcrowding. Much as we will continue to strive to secure additional accommodation, we do not believe that the Department can afford to build its way out of overcrowding. What is required is a combination of durable, sustainable and long-term focused reduction and expansion strategies.

The recent departmental strategic planning session also identified the enhancement of the community corrections system as a key departmental objective to address overcrowding by diverting low risk awaiting-trial prisoners to community corrections. We however acknowledge the fact that we need to develop an appropriate communications strategy to ensure a broad acceptance and understanding of the opportunities presented by community corrections as a viable alternative to incarceration.

A further 8, 000 beds will be added to the system with the commissioning of the following prisons:

* Ebongweni Maximum Prison in Kokstad with a capacity of 1440 beds, which will admit its first batch of prisoners within the next two months.

* Devon Pre-release Centre in Springs with a capacity of 600 beds due for occupation during July 2001.

Through our public-private partnership programme, the Department will alleviate overcrowding with the opening of the following APOPS prisons.

The APOPS prison in Bloemfontein, Mangaung Maximum Prison, with an accommodation capacity for 2 928 beds is also in an advanced stage of completion and is due for occupation on 1 July 2001, which is three months ahead of schedule.

* The other APOPS prison, Kutama-Senthumule Maximum Prison in Louis Trichardt, with an accommodation capacity of 3 024 beds is going according to schedule and its occupation is expected in February 2002.

To relieve overcrowding, the Department is also embarking on a programme to rehabilitate and upgrade dilapidated prisons at a budgeted cost of R 214,55 million to be spent in this financial year.

IMPLEMENTATION OF UNIT MANAGEMENT

The Department has set itself the target of implementing Unit Management in 80% of our prisons by the end of the forthcoming MTEF period (31 March 2005).

After successfully piloting Unit Management in Malmesbury Prison in 1997, we decided that all new prison designs would conform to Unit Management principles. Furthermore, in order to promote uniformity and consistency of the prison system, we will develop facility prototypes in accordance with Unit Management principles.

We have therefore identified Unit Management as the missing ingredient in the transformation of our prison system.

As stated in the National Assembly Budget Vote Debate, the vision of the Department outlined above necessitates the development of an effective human resource strategy that will address at least the following aspects:

* The multi-skilling of correctional officials through needs-directed training to support the implementation of Unit Management and enhancement of rehabilitation strategies.
* Promoting correctional service as a profession and a career of choice.
* Improving the working conditions and remuneration of front-line staff.
* Transforming our work ethic to enhance service delivery.

Chairperson, during the past financial year, my Department was involved in a number of initiatives aimed at promoting rehabilitation:

REHABILITATION WORKSHOPS

As part of the process to develop our rehabilitation policy, a series of workshops involving community organisations and rehabilitated former offenders were held between September 2000 and March 2001. The aim of these workshops was to develop a common understanding of the meaning of rehabilitation.

The workshops assisted in identifying policy gaps and were instrumental in developing the first phase of the Department's intervention model and strategy for assessing rehabilitation needs.

Amakhaya farm project

As part of our contribution to the Government's Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme on 31 March 2001 the Department launched a historic partnership with the community in Mpumalanga Province, where Inkosi Mthethwa donated a piece of land for crop production by the Department and the community of Piet Retief. This project is intended to provide offenders with agricultural skills and ultimately facilitate their re-integration.

St Albans Production Workshop

Recently I opened a new production workshop at St Albans Prison, situated in Port Elizabeth, which will empower prisoners with market-related skills in the fields of woodwork, steelworks and textiles.

President's Award Youth Development Programme

The patrons of the President's Award Programme, His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh and former President Mr Nelson Mandela, awarded the President's Gold Award to 47 young offenders who excelled in the Youth Development Programme.

PRISON PRODUCTION

Chairperson, it would be fitting to highlight some statistics relating to the income generated by the Department from products manufactured by prisoners. In the 2000/01 financial year we generated an income of R2 million from the sale of products manufactured by prisoners. This money is deposited directly into the National Revenue Fund.

HIV/AIDS AND HEALTH ISSUES IN PRISONS

The Department's HIV/AIDS policy/strategy has been reviewed, amended and circulated to all relevant stakeholders. The purpose of its review was to make provision for the inclusion of the following latest HIV prevention strategies:

* Promotion of safe sexual practices.
* Prevention of mother-to-child-transmission.
* Management and control of STDs and distribution of condoms.
* Access to voluntary counselling and testing.
* Treatment, care and support.

CORRECTIONAL SERVICES AMENDMENT BILL, 2001

In the process of drafting subordinate legislation and implementing certain aspects of the Correctional Services Act, 1998 (the principal Act), it became apparent, based on practical considerations, that certain amendments would be necessary in order to fully implement the principal Act, as well as to be more compliant with the provisions of the Constitution. Central to the Amendment Bill is:

* The treatment of prisoners.
* Accommodation of disabled offenders and gender considerations.
* Disciplinary procedures for prisoners.
* New parole system.
* Treatment of child offenders.
* Use of firearms and other non-lethal incapacitating devices.

Chairperson, due to the contentious nature of some of the clauses contained in the Bill, this Council decided to refer the Amendment Bill for public hearings.

GREEN PAPER ON CORRECTIONAL SERVICES

Chairperson, I have initiated a holistic policy formulation process to review existing policies and identify policy options that incorporate international best practices and provide the greatest value for public monies spent in Correctional Services.

The National Council on Correctional Services and the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services have supported this initiative. A presentation to this Council on this matter is forthcoming.

ESCAPES

When I addressed this House last year, I indicated that my Department would bring down the number of escapes. In the year 2000 the Department managed to further decrease the number of escapes from 459 to 250.

CORRUPTION

As I stated in the National Assembly Budget Vote Debate, in terms of the priority programmes presented by the Crime Prevention and Justice Cluster to the Cabinet Lekgotla held in January 2001, the Department of Correctional Services committed itself to step up the fight against crime and corruption in South African prisons.

In this regard, I have tasked the National Council on Correctional Services to conduct a thorough research based on international best practice and to advise the Ministry, taking into account the unique circumstances of the South African correctional system, on the best model for an independent anti-corruption unit to investigate corruption and crime in our prisons.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, Chairperson, the Department will continue to build the necessary intergovernmental relations at both the provincial and local spheres of government to ensure that it plays a meaningful role in the fight against crime.

I wish to thank all stakeholders, state departments, business, NGOs, parastatals, CBOs and employee organisations for assisting Government in promoting a crime free society. In contributing towards this year's national theme - "UNITY IN ACTION FOR CHANGE", the Department will continue to strengthen its partnerships with the community to speed up prison reform.

I THANK YOU.

Issued by Ministry of Correctional Services

19 June 2001