DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES Department of Correctional Services

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES Department of Correctional Services BRIEFING BY THE REGIONAL COMMISSIONER OF EASTERN CAPE

ACHIEVEMENTS ON KEY STRATEGIES ON OPERATIONAL PLAN KEY STRATEGIES PROGRESS • ROLL OUT OF WHITE PAPER • Progress made in the region by empowering the following categories : All Regional Office staff, Area Coordinators: Development and Care, , Area Coordinators: Corrections, Religious Services, Nutrition, Education, Social Work Services, Nurses Community Corrections, Facilitators in areas have been capacitated to continue with the roll out of the above. • ACT & REGULATIONS • The following officials have bee empowered: Area Commissioners’ Heads: Correctional Centres, Area Coordinators’ Community Corrections Personnel, Regional Heads, Regional Coordinators, DRC, HRD Officials (train the trainer), Disciplinary officials and case presenters, Heads of independent units, Continued orientation and awareness sessions are conducted with all other levels of personnel at all meetings ØDepartment of Correctional Services

CONTINUE…. KEY STRATEGY • AUDITING OF VACANT POST PROGRESS All posts have been audited and vacant posts have been reported to Head Office. • The following posts are in the process of filling before the 1 st of September 2004: Nurses (88), Educationists (45), Social Workers (31), Entry Level Correctional Officials (147), Regional Coordinator: Health Care (1), Regional Coordinator: Employee Relations (1), Regional Coordinator: Communication (1) • ACCESSIBILITY OF CARE SERVICES TO ALL OFFENDERS IN NEED OF SERVICES • All centres/ units have a social worker appointed. 80% Spiritual and Moral Care Clerk trained on Mode of Intervention • DEVELOP SENTENCE PLANS TO INFORM NEED BASED PROGRAMMES • Accreditation of programs and service providers is in progress in the region Department of Correctional Services

CONTINUE…. KEY STRATEGIES PROGRESS • REVISE INSPECTION TOOLS TO ASCERTAIN RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY • In the first phase of process. • CO-ORDINATION AND INTEGRATION OF ALL SERVICES AND PROGRAMMES ON DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN RELEVANT COMPONENTS TO ENHANCE SERVICE DELIVERY • Inmates prefer to be involved in technical skills programmes. Refer to the attached statistics hence the low statistics in mainstream education e. g. grade 10 – 11. • Basic Literacy project has been launched in partnership with South African National Literacy Initiative. • We are in the process of twining our DCS centers with the nearby schools in partnership with the Provincial Department of Education in the region. • PROVISIONING OF QUALITY AND EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES • 33 Educators are in a process of being employed • Currently busy with In-house accreditation for Quality Assurance by the External Service Providers • Improvising by making use of multi-purpose halls and holding cells as classrooms Department of Correctional Services

CONTINUE… KEY STRATEGIES • TO IMPROVE TRAINING OF OFFENDERS IN SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND INCREASE THE PRODUCTION IN THE WORKSHOP • PROVISION OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES. PROGRESS • Two workshops in the region have been given targets for involvement in programmes. • Fast tracked process of procurement of equipment to ensure full operation of workshops. • Partitioning of Workshop to accommodate maximum classified offenders. • Have encouraged female offenders to engage in other training, rather than the traditional. • Health facilities are established in each centre / unit • 95% of nursing personnel is trained in PHC • 70% of nursing personnel is trained in HIV/Aids counseling & TB Management • VCM partnership is established with the Department of Health in respect of rolling out of ARV’s • Authorization granted to practice PHC by Department of Health Department of Correctional Services

CHALLENGES 1. Changing of the mind set of officials in respect of the new strategic direction of DCS. 2. Fast tracing the finalization of auditing, facilitating and accreditation of programmes & service providers. 3. Provision of need based programmes 4. Unstructured sport, arts and recreation programmes. 5. Accreditation of facilities e. g. work shops and agriculture 6. Libraries not managed by qualified officials and not resourced with latest and relevant material 7. Unavailability of medical practitioners 8. Non retainment of professionals e. g. Psychologists, Pharmacists, Professional Nurses FUTURE PLANS Consistency in education and empowerment of officials about in the new direction of the DCS. 2. Adhere to the set time lines 1. 3. Finalisation of the accreditation process 4. Arrangements with relevant agencies 5. Structured programmes 6. Appoint qualified officials & provide resources 7. Finalisation of contract agreements with the Department of Health 8. Place exit strategies in place Department of Correctional Services

OVERCROWDING OVERCROWDED SENTENCED FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AREA CAPACITY ACTUAL MIDDLEDRIFT ST ALBANS MAXIMUM ST ALBANS MEDIM B UMTATA MAXIMUM MDANTSANE 1386 1644 1494 1446 1029 411 717 760 720 582 OVERCROWDED UNSENTENCED FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AREA CAPACITY KING WILLIAM’S TOWN 301 MT AYLIFF 85 UMTATA 725 ST ALBANS MEDIUM A 1446 LUSIKI 148 FLAGSTAFF 64 MT FRERE 42 ACTUAL 829 206 1987 2167 352 208 136 Department of Correctional Services

STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS OVERCROWDING • AWAITING TRAILS • • Utilize Section 62 (f) of the Criminal Procedure Act Section 63 (a) Section 276 (1) (i)and (h) Plea bargaining Minor offences – file a warning, admissions of guilt applied Address backlog on cases by introducing Saturday courts e. g. St Albans Pre-Trial services already operating at the following places: St Albans Medium A East London Medium B Umtata To be introduced at the following places: - Flagstaff Grahamstown King William’s Town • SENTENCED INMATES • Timeous releases (reintegration starting on admission) • Effective functioning of Case Management Committees • Effective utilization of Community Corrections (referrals to court and conversions) • Enhance relations with the Community especially with regard to Support systems • Effective utilization of available accommodation etc Department of Correctional Services

STATISTICS : INVOLVEMENT OF OFFENDERS IN EDUCATION MANAGEM ENT AREA PROGRA M ABET L 1 -L 4 PROGRAM MAINSTREAM GRADE 10 -11 PROGRAM MAINSTREAM GRADE 12 RECREATION ACTIVITIES PARTICIPATI ON NUMBER OF LIBRARIES PROGRAM TECHNICAL STUDIES PROGRAM: DISTANCE LEARNING COMPUTER SKILLS TRAINING OCCUPATI ONAL SKILLS TRAINING Middledrift 172 54 53 1 333 3 34 17 0 149 Cradock 98 2 7 1904 1 0 03 0 162 East London 219 30 80 1 448 5 122 20 30 165 Sada 168 0 9 245 0 0 05 0 168 St. Albans 164 30 33 2 069 3 145 10 15 210 Umtata 256 0 04 571 2 83 21 15 192 Lusiki 244 20 34 376 0 0 159 Kirkwood 32 23 22 640 1 0 0 0 82 Regional Total 1 353 159 242 8 586 14 384 76 60 1 287 Regional Target 900 500 300 5 000 17 300 30 60 1 000 Extent: % of involveme nt 150. 3 31. 8 80. 6 171. 7 82. 4 128. 0 253. 3 100. 0 128. 7 of Department Correctional Services

WORKSHOP & AGRICULTURE STATS EAST LONDON MANAGEMENT AREA PROGRAM POTTERY Total number of offenders participating 15 PROGRAM WOODWORK PROGRAM SEWING PROGRAM GLASS PAINTING PROGRAM FABRIC PAINTING PROGRAM CUTTING TOTALS LOCK-UP 13 38 10 18 20 114 3244 ST. ALBANS MANAGEMENT AREA SPRAY PAINTING WELDING Total number of offenders participating 17 3 TEXTILE 54 MACHINE OPERATORS 8 MANUFACTURING OF OFFICE FURNI -TURE 18 REPAIRS ON VEHICLES 3 PANEL BEATERS 3 TOTALS 106 LOCKUP 6651 Department of Correctional Services

PROVISION OF COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE Each Unit has a health facility with basic Health equipment. - HIV/AIDS - Education and awareness program in place. - 262 Offenders trained as Peer Educators and 4 Registered nurses trained as Master trainers in HIV/AIDS. - VCT sites are available at all centres or units. - ARV roll-out: offenders on treatment are referred to Provincial hospitals. Department of Correctional Services

SECURITY & SAFETY OF INMATES • Escapes = 25 January to August 2004 • Prison Violence 2 deaths at St Albans, 1 of which was gang fight • Suicides None in 2004 Prison : 15 Work teams permanent member : 6 Work team: temporary member : 1 Public hospitals : 2 Court : 1 During escort : 0 Department of Correctional Services

WORKING CONDITIONS Working conditions are in most cases acceptable to members, except at some Correctional Centres in the rural areas which are not sufficiently resourced, eg. Office space and furniture. Transport between residence and work place is also of a major concern as members that report for second watch are exposed to attacks and muggings whilst on their way to work. The DCS policy on transport between residence and work place should be revised to accommodate such members, even if it means that members have to contribute towards such service. Members apply for positions at any institution and once they are in the service they want to move closer to their families. This is contrary to the contract they sign and they do not want to accept a situation where their applications for transfers are disapproved. Decisions on transfers are based on merit due to the fact that we have an equity policy to adhere to. The implementation of the OSH Act is also a matter of concern. Currently there are no full time members responsible and it is done on an ad-hoc basis. No job description is available for such post which leaves a grey area in addressing certain issues, eg. Work place safety, etc. Department of Correctional Services

STAFF MORALE The morale of the staff is not what it should be. See our strategy as below: CAUSES IDENTIFIED Overcrowding (unsafe conditions). High stress level (unsafe environment, new approaches cause stress to old officials). Non-availability of promotion policy (stagnation, external appointments without releva experience, eg. a member from external who is on the level of SCO gets appointed a director, but this is not allowed internally). Sudden reduction of weekend post establishment. Unsafe working environment (inferiority complex due to category of inmates, lack of assertiveness amongst officials). Transformation (old members resist change). Non-financed structure and slow filling of positions. Filling of EAP posts critical. Judge White Commission report (effect thereof). Department Correctiona Services

IMPORTANCE OF WELL-BEING OF EMPLOYEES IN THE WORK PLACE SOCIAL ARGUMENT Staff spends at least half of their time at work or in getting to or leaving it. They contribute to the organization when they are reasonably free from worry, and they feel that when they are in trouble, they are due to get something from the organization. People are entitled to be treated as full human beings with personal needs, hopes and anxieties; they are employed as people; they bring themselves to work, not just their hands, and they cannot readily leave their troubles at home. This emphasizes the need for EAP at work (functional unit). CHALLENGES Non-existence of the EAP Advisory Committee on Regional level meet to discuss and give guidance to Area Managers and functional EAP units at Area Commissioners Level. PROGRESS Currently overloading social workers employed for offenders for emergencies and refer staff to own psychologists and psychiatrist thus exhausted medical aid. Department of Correctional Services

DISCIPLINE According to this office’s records, the discipline of officials are in line with normal human resource practices. Comparing the statistics with the personnel composition, it is clear that it only represent ± 1%. Most of the reasons for disciplinary actions are as follows: • Uncommunicated absence • Alcohol misuse • Breaching of internal security arrangements Managers strive to ensure that discipline is complied with according to the disciplinary code. Problems experienced in this regard is as follow: • Role players not adhering to time frames. • Consistency in decision taking eg uncommunicated absence for continuous period of 21 days – one official gets dismissed whilst another only received a written warning. • The relations between management and stakeholders are good and regular. Department meetings areof taking place. Correctional Services

TRAINING ACTIVITIES ALREADY CONDUCTED : 1 APRIL 2004 – TO DATE • • • Roll out of White Paper Act And Regulations Logistical Training HIV/Aids peer Education Anti-retroviral Workshop VOL counseling & Testing Pre-screening assessor Assessor Training in Custodial Duties Training in Performance Management Transport Clerk Workshop • Department of Correctional Services

ANTI –CORRUPTION STRATEGY FOR REGION • REGIONAL STRATEGY IN PLACE • AREA COMMISSIONERS CURRENTLY ADAPTING THE STRATEGY TO THEIR AREAS Department of Correctional Services