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

The Integrated Human Resource
Strategy with its various
elements was designed to
improve human resources and
provide the Department with the
required skills, professionals and
the retention of scarce skills.
DCS Annual Report 2007/08
1.2 Introduction by the Commissioner of
Correctional Services
It has been just over a year since I was appointed as
Commissioner of Correctional Services and I must say it
has been both an exciting period and at the same time
a challenging task. Although I am not new in the Department,
managing an organisation the size of Correctional
Services with its dynamic and unique culture has
presented me several opportunities, which I will allude to
later. For the last financial year, we have really been focussing
on service delivery and we have identified some
of the challenges. One of the challenges we picked up
was that, with the transformation of the Department and
the introduction of new approaches to corrections, there
was a need to provide appropriate management training
in order to enhance organisational efficiency and ability
to deliver. In 2006/07, we commenced with training of
middle managers under the Management Development
Programme. During 2007/08, the Department engaged
with the Wits Business School to provide training for
senior managers. This training will be completed in the
2008 /09 financial year.
Another critical intervention towards improving service
delivery was the Khaedu training and deployment
project. All senior managers participated in this training
and were deployed at the coalface of service delivery.
The purpose of the training was to provide senior managers
with the appropriate tools relevant to improving
service delivery. However, we hope as well that managers
will pick up the challenges faced by officials at operational
level, so that when they plan, they have a broad
picture of operations.
Since taking up office, a number of opportunities
materialized that we are going to capitalise on. The
implementation of the 7-day establishment is one such
opportunity for the Department to ensure provision of
services and programmes for seven-days of the week.
The programme carries benefits to a range of players
and therefore stands to improve the efficacy of corrections
in all respects. Lock up periods will be shortened,
thereby contributing in further reducing possible abuses.
It will also allow stakeholders and service providers more
time to provide programmes. Together with the Occupation
Specific Dispensation the 7-day establishment will
improve the quality of our work and conditions of service
of officials in many respects. As part of improving internal
processes, the DCS has migrated to LOGIS to assist in
management and capturing of assets.
The Integrated Human Resource Strategy with its various
elements was designed to improve human resources
and provide the Department with the required skills, professionals
and the retention of scarce skills. The opportunities
presented here include our selection processes,
appropriate entry levels for special categories, induction