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

 Department of Correctional Services ACHIEVEMENTS ON KEY STRATEGIES ON OPERATIONAL PLAN KEY STRATEGIES ROLL OUT OF WHITE PAPER ACT & REGULATIONS PROGRESS 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. 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

Department of Correctional Services CONTINUE…. KEY STRATEGY AUDITING OF VACANT POST ACCESSIBILITY OF CARE SERVICES TO ALL OFFENDERS IN NEED OF SERVICES DEVELOP SENTENCE PLANS TO INFORM NEED BASED PROGRAMMES 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 1st 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) All centres/ units have a social worker appointed. 80% Spiritual and Moral Care Clerk trained on Mode of Intervention Accreditation of programs and service providers is in progress in the region

Department of Correctional Services CONTINUE…. KEY STRATEGIES REVISE INSPECTION TOOLS TO ASCERTAIN RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY CO-ORDINATION AND INTEGRATION OF ALL SERVICES AND PROGRAMMES ON DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN RELEVANT COMPONENTS TO ENHANCE SERVICE DELIVERY PROVISIONING OF QUALITY AND EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES PROGRESS In the first phase of process. 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. 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 1. Consistency in education and empowerment of officials about in the new direction of the DCS. 2.Adhere to the set time lines 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 AREACAPACITY ACTUAL MIDDLEDRIFT ST ALBANS MAXIMUM ST ALBANS MEDIM B UMTATA MAXIMUM MDANTSANE OVERCROWDED UNSENTENCED FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AREACAPACITYACTUAL KING WILLIAM’S TOWN MT AYLIFF85206 UMTATA ST ALBANS MEDIUM A LUSIKISIKI FLAGSTAFF64208 MT FRERE 42136

Department of Correctional Services STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS OVERCROWDING AWAITING TRAILS SENTENCED INMATES 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 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 L1-L4 PROGRAM MAINSTREAM GRADE 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 Cradock East London Sada St.Albans Umtata Lusikisiki Kirkwood Regional Total Regional Target Extent: % of involveme nt

Department of Correctional Services WORKSHOP & AGRICULTURE STATS EAST LONDON MANAGEMENT AREA PROGRAM POTTERY PROGRAM WOODWORK PROGRAM SEWING PROGRAM GLASS PAINTING PROGRAM FABRIC PAINTING PROGRAM CUTTING TOTALSLOCK-UP Total number of offenders participating ST.ALBANS MANAGEMENT AREA WELDING SPRAY PAINTING TEXTILEMACHINE OPERATORS MANUFAC- TURING OF OFFICE FURNI-TURE REPAIRS ON VEHICLES PANEL BEATERSTOTALSLOCK- UP Total number of offenders participating

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 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 Prison Violence Suicides January to August 2004 Prison: 15 Work teams permanent member : 6 Work team: temporary member : 1 Public hospitals: 2 Court : 1 During escort: 0 2 deaths at St Albans, 1 of which was gang fight None in 2004

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 relevant experience, eg. a member from external who is on the level of SCO gets appointed as 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 of Correctional 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 meetings are taking place.

Department of 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 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