Title: Progress: Implementation of Correctional Supervision and Parole Board
1Progress Implementation of Correctional
Supervision and Parole Board The Groenpunt
Management Area
Building a caring correctional system that truly
belongs to all
Presentation to Port Folio Committee 5 September
2006
2Introduction
Hlaoli Litsoane
- My Background
- Studied at University of Fort Hare, Unisa and
Ohio (USA) - Formerly a lecturer and acting vice-rector at a
college of education Mphohadi, Kroonstad Free
State - Professional Officer at Vista University,
lecturer at University - of Fort Hare
3Introduction
- Worked with several educational NGOs (OLSET,
TOPS, TSP ELET), served in several boards
as a - governor (St Peter Claver),
- director (Sebokeng Clinix Louis Pasteur
Hospitals), - trustee (Bonitas Medical Fund) and
- member hospital board Free State Psychiatric
Complex former Oranje Hospital.
4Groenpunt Parole Board servesFrankfort
86Heilbron 99Parys 143Sasolburg 213Vereen
iging 1195Groenpunt Maximum Corr.
Centre 2301 Medium Corr. Centre 893 Youth
Corr. Centre 194 Total Sentenced Offenders
5121 (Aug 2006)
5Composition of the Board
- H Litsoane Chairperson
- LM Kau Vice-chairperson (DCS)
- MJ Dhladhla Secretary(DCS)
- ME Monare Community Member
- ME Makiri (Ms) Community Member
- CM de Lange (Ms) Board Clerk
- TE Tekane Board Clerk
- Sen. Sup. Ntshinga SAPS
- Cpt Mofokeng SAPS
- Currently advertised for community person
- Alternating
6Composition of the Board (cont.)Presently the
representation of Justiceand SAPS are generally
as yet unstable.
7METHODOLOGY
- Board Procedure
- The process is led by appearance at CMCs
- Quorum is established in terms of the Act.
- The cases are discussed individually
- Reports are interrogated
- Decision is taken by voting
- Information that is relevant/ needed for
decisions - Form G326 Offender Profile
- Report from SAP 62 Crime description
- SAP 69 Crime History
- Social worker
- Psychologist
- Religious care
- Unit manager
- Sentencing remarks
- Legal representation (in writing or in
person)
8CMC Prepares the profile Interviews
the offender Reviews reports Evaluates
mitigating factors against aggravating
factors Makes parole or further profile
recommendations parties e.g. Offender
Presents his case to prove state of
rehabilitation and readiness to meet the
communityVictim Presents his/her view of the
event.
9Community Member Represent the view
and values of the broader community
Interviews the offender Reviews reports
Evaluates mitigating factors against
aggravating factors Decide the outcome by
majority vote IN THE EVENT OF DISPUTE The
Chairperson uses either or both of his votes,
namely deliberative vote casting vote
10Operation Statistics
July 2005 Aug 2005 Sept 2005 Oct 2005 Nov 2005 Dec 2005 Jan 2006
Conditional Placement 125 98 114 47 98 74 38
Further Profile 4 32 51 63 17 48 21
Correctional Supervision 2 7 3 0 5 1 0
Day Parole 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Medical Parole 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sentence Expiry Date 9 4 12 0 7 0 0
TOTAL SEEN THIS MONTH 140 141 180 110 127 123 59
11Operation Statistics (cont.)
Feb 2006 Mar 2006 Apr 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 Aug 2006
Conditional Placement 48 55 34 66 70 61 83
Further Profile 19 38 23 34 39 51 53
Correctional Supervision 4 5 7 8 2 3 11
Day Parole 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Medical Parole 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sentence Expiry Date 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TOTAL SEEN THIS MONTH 72 98 64 108 111 115 150
12OPERATIONS
- Number of cases special remissions of sentences
approved - Groenpunt has not had special remission cases to
date.
13LESSONS LEARNED
- That there are differences in how the old DCS
release policies worked as against how parole
boards now work Individualizing vs policy
directives on crime classification and release. - Not all people inside our jails are criminals
Not all offenders are condemnable. - Human beings are capable of change, and that
change needs to be understood by the community. - Courts are not necessarily applying common rules
if one looks at sentencing patterns and this
poses a challenge to parole boards.
14LESSONS LEARNED (Cont.)
- Rehabilitation of offenders is an all-involving
exercise families and communities need to play a
more active role, and the institution of new
parole boards are a step in the right direction. - Treating offenders as individuals makes each
offender accountable to his own actions, and to
gain or lose from the parole system on his own
accord. - One can arguably attribute the prison gang
culture to DCSs crime grouping policy, eg. All
violent crimes to be considered for dates at 2/3
of sentence, instead of evaluating all factors
surrounding the occurance. Previously it would be
easy for some offenders to only turn into real
criminals while already inside because they are
treated the same in any case.
15CHALLENGES
- The new parole board system is not that well
understood, even by officials themselves. These
perceptions affect even delivery in that some
where parole boards even have powers of certain
officials. - There is need to constantly give a briefing on
especially legal frameworks of how parole boards
work to the general staff, over and above
professional workers. This kind of knowledge will
assist officials to align themselves more with
the White Paper on Corrections. - Parole boards are still viewed as being on an
experimental phase in that they are staffed with
contact staff. - Changing to permanent staffing will not only
change this view, but will call for greater
commitment on the side persons on parole boards.
It will also ensure continuity and increasing
levels of efficiency.
16CHALLENGES (Cont.)
- With the changes to the new parole boards, the
identity and allegiance of the parole boards have
become dubious - Presently DCS representation is a minority, old
release policies of DCS are largely not
functional, technically that removes the Parole
Board from DCS. Practically some officials do not
relate to some cases as dealt with by Parole
Boards.
17 Thank you Building a caring correctional
system that truly belongs to all