Honourable House Chairperson,
Minister of Correctional Services, Dr Pieter Groenewald,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers from sister Departments,
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services
Hon. Kgomotso Ramolobeng and members of the Committee,
National Commissioner of the Department of Correctional
Services, Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale,
Inspecting Judge, Justice Edwin Cameron,
Members of the National Council for Correctional Services,
Members of the Parole Boards,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good Afternoon, 

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) forms part of the criminal justice system that seeks to realize the vision of ensuring that people living in South Africa feel safe at home, at school and at work and that they enjoy a community life free of fear. A safe and secure country encourages economic growth and transformation and is therefore an important contributor to addressing factors such as poverty, inequality, and unemployment. Within an extraordinary challenging socio and economic context, DCS has realigned its strategy and interventions to increase safety in our communities. 

Honourable Members, the levels of crime in the country are a concern for us as Correctional Services because of their snowballing effect in security risks and threats in our facilities. Over the past three years, the Department has had basic training for Emergency Support Team (EST) officials to provide additional capacity to respond to various situations, such as riots, violent attacks, high risk tactical guarding, escorting and the use of minimum force, amongst others. 

We have been conducting searches, head counts and other security procedures to maintain adequate security standards. This was done to guard and preserve the integrity and dignity of officials, inmates and visitors to all our facilities. What needs to be understood is that correctional centres serve multiple purposes. They are centres where justice is administered, providing a deterrent to crime and a means of rehabilitation for those who violate the law. However, they are also institutions of second chances, offering education, vocational training and counselling to help inmates turn their lives around. 

For this to be effective, the environment within correctional facilities must be both safe and secure. We have observed a disturbing trend where informal settlements are mushrooming closer to our facilities. This is then followed by deliberate efforts to disrupt our services. Illegal connections to electricity transformers and consistency in contraband items being thrown into our terrains are becoming a daily occurrence. One of the correctional facilities being gravely affected is St Albans in Gqeberha. 

Security measures are essential to prevent escapes, contraband smuggling and other security breaches that could endanger officials, inmates and the public. Effective security ensures that correctional centres fulfil their role in protecting society from those who have committed crimes. Effective security measures have seen the Department record a reduction in escapes, assaults and unnatural deaths. 

The Department has deployed various mechanisms in dealing with perennial escapes in the past, and, indeed, this has made a difference. There has been a reduction in the number of escapes between 2021/22 and 2022/23 financial years as a result of the effective implementation of escape prevention strategies and adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Over the MTEF, the Department will continue to reduce all security incidents across correctional facilities. Escapes will be reduced by 0.002% across the MTEF from 0.029% in 2024/25 to 0.027% in 2026/27.
 
From the 2018/19 to 2022/23 financial years, there was an improvement in the rate of injuries to offenders due to the deployment of the Emergency Security Teams (EST) to identified correctional facilities to provide support in terms of clean-up and search operations as well as effective implementation of the assault prevention strategy. We intend reducing injuries by 0.05% across the medium-term at 4.45% in 2024/25 to 4.35% in 2026/27, while unnatural deaths will be maintained at 0.032%.
 

Implementation of Escape, Assault and Death Prevention Strategies in all correctional facilities ensure inmates are held in safe, secure and humane conditions. These strategies are not just safety measures but a multi-disciplinary approach to security. DCS
has been implementing the Festive Season Security Operational Campaign annually, from December to January, in an effort to
intensify security measures during the festive period. 

The Department is exploring approaches aimed at curbing incidents that take place after lock-up time, such as unnatural deaths caused by suicides. We require more than just regular patrols, and monitoring after hours, so that distress situations are acted upon timely. The National Security Committee is looking at the current procedures so that identified gaps can be closed.
 

The wearing of civilian clothes by remand detainees presents a heightened security risk due to the difficulty of distinguishing
between remand detainees and civilians working inside correctional facilities. The state of some private clothes also affects hygiene. Section 48 of the Correctional Services Act makes provision for supplying remand detainees with uniform which is different from that prescribed for sentenced offenders and may not be worn to court. The Department is thus enforcing wearing of yellow uniform by all remand detainees. 

Yes, we are strained in terms of the material and resources but efforts are being made to ensure that this happens. Ensuring safe and secure correctional centres is a complex, but essential, task. It requires a holistic approach that prioritizes the well-being of inmates, the safety of staff and the security of the facilities. By committing to these principles, we can create a correctional system that not only upholds justice but also fosters rehabilitation and reintegration ultimately contributing to a safer and more just society. 

 Availability and access to medicine is critical in ensuring the provision of comprehensive primary health care services to the inmate population. Correctional Services has a total of 243 correctional centres across the country, which have clinics that cater for the health needs of all inmates. Linked to it are Departmental pharmacies responsible for supplying clinics with medicines and medical supplies in addressing the health needs of inmates. As at 31 March 2024, the Department managed to ramp up its portfolio of pharmacies to 37 and these are fully aligned to the requirements of Good Pharmacy Practice in South Africa. 

A total of 13 of these pharmacies were established in the last five (5) years. The pharmacy establishment projects came into fruition through offender labour. The use of offender labour further contributed to their skills development. The project entailed the innovative conversion of existing store rooms and offices as some were underutilised and dilapidated. The pharmacy establishment project contributes to Priority 3 of Government, as it relates to Education, Skills and Health as outlined in the Revised MediumTerm Strategic Framework (RMTSF). Bringing pharmacy services closer to the beneficiaries (inmates) is poised to enhance the quality of health care services and turnaround time in the delivery of medicines. 

Since the advent of democracy, community corrections has become a core component of the South African criminal justice system as it provides a useful and less costly alternative to incarceration. Community corrections is a shift in focus from sanction and deterrence to rehabilitation and reintegration. 

This shift in focus has resulted in the establishment, expansion and diversification of the current community corrections system. Community corrections is mandated to provide supervision of offenders (probationers, parolees and awaiting-trial persons (ATPs), placed under the system of community corrections, in order to enhance public safety. 

There are 218 community corrections offices serving parolees, probationers and Awaiting Trial Persons (ATPs) for effective
monitoring and supervision. Reintegration of offenders under the system of community corrections provides offenders with an opportunity to lead a socially responsible and crime-free life within their communities. The Department noted significant achievements during the sixth administration on the compliance with set conditions of parole and correctional supervision. 

 A total number of 518 vehicles were leased as a critical success factor to ensure effective monitoring and implementation of Social Reintegration programmes for effective reintegration. Vehicles were distributed in line with the demand and unique environment based on the road infrastructure, geographical areas and based on the challenged cases within those areas. In addition, the Department procured three hundred and sixty (360) computers to boost service delivery as community corrections administration depend on information, communication and technology (ICT). 

To enable offenders to be reintegrated into society upon release, correctional programmes are aimed at equipping offenders serving sentences longer than 24 months with life skills. The Department has progressively improved offender participation in rehabilitation programmes to ensure that offenders complete relevant correctional programmes. There was an increase of 6 295 offenders participating in correctional programmes from the 2021/22 to 2022/23 financial years. 

The role of government and non-governmental partners is imperative to ensure achievement of education outcomes. In order not to disadvantage offender learners, the Department ensures that offenders have access to education and training curricula that is aligned with that of the national education system. 

The performance of offender learners in standardised tests of the Department of Basic Education (DBE) is comparable to the performance of learners from the community or any other public school. The Department provides offenders with education and training of the highest quality by partnering with the Departments of Basic and Higher Education to provide curriculum intervention programmes and educator development in various subject areas, thus leading to significantly improved learning outcomes. 

 DBE and the Department of Higher Education train DCS Head Office and Provincial monitors on the monitoring of examinations and provide resident monitors at all of the DCS FET schools. The Department of Higher Education complements the numbers of educators that deliver Adult Education and Training (AET) classes at DCS AET facilities. Curriculum intervention implemented led to the increase in the Grade 12 pass rate obtained between the 2015/16 financial year with a 73% pass rate and the 2022/23 financial year with an 87% pass rate. 

TVET and skills development systems strive to fulfill the demands of all people seeking to learn relevant new skills in order to improve their career prospects, income or professional status. By equipping offenders with knowledge, skills and competencies linked to labour market demands, TVET systems are recognised as a crucial instrument for increasing employability, job prospects and potentially improving social inclusion. Providing offenders with vocational education and training will provide significant benefits in addressing issues that cause crime as well as reducing the reoffending rate. 

The Department has put measures in place to implement eLearning in 45 registered TVET College Centres. Through skills development, offenders have access to participate in the National Vocational Certificate, Engineering, Business Studies and SETA Accredited Skills Programmes. 

The Department is currently synchronizing programmes with curriculum and workplaces to maximize the utilisation of resources towards self-sufficiency and sustainability. In order to further contribute to self-sufficiency and sustainability, the Department managed to train offenders on programmes such as sewing machines repairs, vegetable production, bricklaying, plastering, plumbing and the like. Financial support from the National Skills Fund and SASSETA contributed to an increase in the participation of offenders in long occupational skills programmes between 2018/19 (4 127) and 2021/22 (39 560) financial years. 

 Social reintegration efforts, where the victims of crime play an active role, are starting to gain traction. This is due to deliberate efforts by Correctional Services, where interventions aimed at equipping parolees, probationers and community members with entrepreneurial skills and business ventures do involve participation by victims of crime. 

For instance, training on welding and plumbing in Makhanda, involving the Department of Employment & Labour and National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), was undertaken. As already indicated, these empowerment programmes are implemented through partnerships. We have signed a number of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with various institutions, including the Department of Small Business, Seda, SASSETA and other relevant stakeholders. 

 In the Free State and Northern Cape Region, Meals on Wheels Community South Africa (MOWSA) Project, in partnership with
DCS and external stakeholders, saw 28 parolees and probationers receiving accredited training and certificates for biodiversity promotion in terms of producing products (such as soaps and lotions) from the use of local plants as well as the preservation of food and the establishment of Cooperative Organisations. 

Whereas, in the Gauteng Region, a total of 19 female parolees and probationers in Krugersdorp were certificated by Intensive Hygiene Adapts (Pty) Ltd in basic office and building cleaning with the possibility of employment placement during the 2nd quarter of this financial year. These are just some of the interventions, and there are many more. 

DCS has renewed its MoU with the National House of Traditional Leaders in an effort to enable traditional councils to assist in the reintegration of offenders and the process of restorative justice in the community. Correctional Services has further created a platform to engage with communities and traditional leaders by staging 260 imbizo across the country in the last (2023/24) financial year. These have provided a platform for the Department to market the social reintegration programme and services rendered.

In conclusion, I want to convey my appreciation to the Minister, Dr Pieter Groenewald, the National Commissioner, Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale, and his executive for your support in ensuring that we work together so that all people in South Africa are, and feel, safe.

As we mark Mandela Month, and our country ushers in the seventh democratic dispensation through a Government of National Unity, may we realign our collective energies to build the South Africa we envisioned at the start of democracy which includes taking care of the most vulnerable in our midst and providing hope for a better tomorrow.

THANK YOU!