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14 June 2007

Correctional Services Deputy Minister Loretta Jacobus says her department has engaged a higher gear in dealing with the HIV/AIDS pandemic in South African correctional centres. Speaking during the Correctional Services budget vote speech delivery at the National Council of Provinces, Ms Jacobus said the Department of Correctional Services intensified its prevention as well as treatment and care programmes for offenders with HIV/AIDS. She said 1 159 offenders and officials were trained as peer educators against a target of 445 to strengthen the prevention initiatives while 47 438 offenders were exposed to various HIV/AIDS awareness activities during the 2006/07 financial year alone.

"The Department of Correctional Services has surpassed the targets it set for the past financial year as it reached 17 818 offenders with its 48 psychologist against the target of 15 500 offenders," Deputy Minister Jacobus said. She added that the trend was maintained in terms of provision of spiritual care with 164 582 sessions instead of a target of 162 500 as well as 86 571 social work sessions. Deputy Minister Jacobus said the productive engagement of offenders in sporting, arts and cultural activities, as well as formal education and training in production workshops and farms was encouraging. She said during the 2007/08 financial year 102 000 offenders participated in sport, arts and culture programmes.

"Our department is very concerned about the health and welfare of its staff and offenders in its custody. Hence, we have decided to source the assistance of two researchers from the Human Sciences Research Council to capture, analyse and tabulate health information collected during our health needs assessment campaign in order to provide the department with an overview of the current status of health resources, programmes and services," said Ms Jacobus. She said the reports would assist the department on proper planning and appropriate allocation of resources in order to improve the quality of health care rendered to our offender population.

Deputy Minister Jacobus also praised the co-operation received from the Department of Health towards meeting the department's commitment to accelerate the provision of antiretroviral treatment to offenders. She said eight Correctional Centres nationally were accredited by the national Department of Health as comprehensive prevention, care, support and treatment centres. These are Kroonstad Medium C, Groenpunt Correctional Center, Kimberly Correctional Centre,Johannesburg Medium C, St Albans Medium B, Qalakabusha, Pietermaritzburg and Durban Westville. She added that many other correctional centres are under consideration as "we strengthen our partnership with the Department of Health to wage our offensive against the pandemic."

Enquiries:
Manelisi Wolela
Cell: 083 626 0304

Issued by: Department of Correctional Services
14 June 2007