COURT BACKLOGS HINDER CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, SAYS IFP

The Inkatha Freedom Party today blamed delays in court cases for the overcrowding in the prisons. Speaking in parliament during the Correctional Services budget debate, IFP Correctional Services Spokesperson, Mrs Sybil Seaton said the prison population increases yearly and the bulk of these increases are prisoners who are awaiting trial.

Mrs Seaton said:

"The awaiting trial prisoners are there because of delays in court processes. This continues to create major problems for the Department of Correctional Services. The IFP calls on the Minister of Justice to urgently address the backlog in his department that is the cause of overcrowding in the system."

To deal with the overcrowding, Mrs Seaton said, the courts should re-address the sentencing options, especially for minor crimes.

"Courts should be imposing more community service under supervision, and of course once implemented, the new electronic monitoring system as opposed to imprisonment."

"We are concerned that not only does overcrowding pose security and health problem for the department, it creates major difficulties in implementing discipline, providing education, training and rehabilitation programmes, and assisting prisoners with re-integration back into their communities," she told parliament.

Seaton commended Minister Skosana and his department for attempting to implement many programs recommended by the Portfolio Committee.

"I am particularly encouraged to see an improvement in Production and Agricultural targets, although they are still far short of what I would like to see. Because it is still my contention that it is through such programmes that we can best achieve rehabilitation and re-integration into communities," she said.

Seaton urged the department to place more emphasis on developing Industrial Workshops and farms, through which it can supply their own equipment and produce. This will simultaneously provide prisoners with opportunities for skills development as well as keep them busy.

"Those prisoners who are actively engaged in any work or ongoing educational activity are far more positive in their outlook and create much less threat to society because they develop respect for themselves."

"We also believe that prisoners could also to a large extent carry out the maintenance and upgrading of our existing prisons. There are skilled persons amongst them that can assist the department and at the same time create a training ground for others. Most certainly, this would keep many prisoners occupied and would assist the department in achieving some of their goals as at present they have to rely on the Department of Public Works which does not necessarily prioritise the Department of Correctional Services above any other department that they serve," Mrs Seaton said.

ENDS-