As part of our commitment to rehabilitation of offenders, the ...

1.3.6 Work of Statutory Bodies
Judicial Inspectorate of Prisons
The Judicial Inspectorate of Prisons is led by acting
Judge Deon van Zyl appointed by President Mbeki as
the Acting Inspecting Judge of Prisons with effect from
May 2008, following the end of term of the Acting Judge
James Yekiso. The Judicial Inspectorate is an independent
office under the control of the Inspecting Judge.
The Judicial Inspectorate was formally established with
effect from 1 June 1998, in terms of the Correctional
Services Act 111 of 1998. Over and above inspecting
conditions in Correctional Centers, the Judicial Inspectorate
of Prisons has raised concerns around the impact
of the Minimum Sentencing Legislation on prison conditions.
One of the effects of the legislation is its contribution
to the overcrowding and problems associated with it.
National Council on Correctional Services (NCCS)
The NCCS continued with its statutory responsibility to
advise the Minister of Correctional Services in relation
to parole placement recommendations for offenders
serving life sentences. The NCCS has, through its work
in 2006-7, noted that due to the increasing number of
cases of persons who were sentenced to life imprisonment
- twenty and more years ago - an extra meeting
of the NCCS would have to be scheduled during 2008.
In the course of the 2007/08 financial year, the NCCS
considered 30 cases, and recommended placement
on parole for 14 cases, non- placement for nine cases,
and requested that seven cases be reconsidered at the
NCCS on specified dates.
The NCCS expressed concern about the Minimum Sentencing
Legislation as it provides for hiking of sentences
of Regional Courts, with an automatic right of appeal.
The potential impact of this Legislation is that it may be
accompanied by a non-parole period, which will impact
on DCS correctional programmes.
The NCCS is concerned about the absence of written
judgement on sentence in the cases of offenders serving
life sentences. The consideration is that the Minister of
Justice be approached to ensure that judgement on sentence
is recorded in all cases where sentences of more
than 3 years imprisonment are imposed. Judgement is
a critical input for development of correctional sentence
plans and for parole placement decision making.
During the year under review, the NCCS has also interacted
with the Department in relation to the development
of the Incarceration Framework as envisaged in the
Correctional Services Amendment Bill. In other work,
the NCCS interacted with Magistrates in the North West,
Port Elizabeth and Polokwane to discuss ways of reducing
overcrowding through effective case management
10 DCS Annual Report 2007/08
and the use of non-custodial sentences where appropriate.
1.3.7 Bills submitted to the legislature during
the financial year
Amendment of the Correctional Services Act which still
needed to be finalised by the end of the 2007/08 Financial
Year.
1.3.8 Ministerial visits abroad
Country Date Purpose
United
Kingdom
June 2007 Addressed a Seminar of
the Global Retreat on the
consequences of social,
psychological and emotional
imbalances that manifests
in high rates of crime in the
country
Maputo July 2007 Meeting of SADC Ministers
responsible for Gender and
Women affairs to approve
the Draft Gender Policy (the
Deputy Minister represented
Minister Pahad of the
Presidency)
Botswana September
2007
1.4. Mission Statement
Attended a funeral on behalf
of South Africa representing
the President.
Placing rehabilitation at the centre of all Departmental
activities in partnerships with external stakeholders,
through:
• The integrated application and direction of all Departmental
resources to focus on the correction of
offending behaviour, the promotion of social responsibility
and the overall development of the person
under correction;
• The cost-effective provision of correctional facilities
that will promote efficient security, correction, care
and development services within an enabling human
rights environment;
• Progressive and ethical management and staff
practices within which every correctional official performs
an effective correcting and supportive role.
1.5. Constitutional, Legislative, Functional
and Policy Mandates
The Strategic direction of the Department for the medium
term is guided and informed by numerous policies,
including the:
•
Basic Conditions of Employment Act (No. 75 of