Speech by MRS SYBIL ANNE SEATON MP

Madam Speaker, Hon Minister and Hon Members,

May I commence by paying tribute to the Committee Chairperson Hon Dennis Bloom who has led the Committee in an exemplary manner, ensuring that the committee is really engaging with the Department and interrogating the issues.

Minister, I thank you too for your enthusiastic leadership of the Ministry, I think you are a very nice man, really wanting to make a difference to the Justice Delivery System.

I would also thank the many good men and women who are committed to achieving the aims of the department.

Having said that, I must however raise concern that there appears to be a growing complacency within the department and a tendency to treat the Portfolio Committee with a degree of contempt.


Aims of the Department:

.     Enforcing court-imposed sentences (Minister indicated during his Media Briefing this morning, there are a record lower escapes this past year) Well done.
.     Detaining inmates in safe custody (This is achieved to a large extent despite the obstacles faced by the department but can most certainly be greatly improved)
.     Maintaining the human dignity of inmates
.     Developing inmates' sense of social responsibility
.     Promoting the general development of all inmates and persons subject to community corrections


Overcrowding

With the current occupancy rate at 137% it is extremely unlikely that the Department can adequately maintain human dignity, develop inmates' sense of social responsibility or promote the development of all inmates and persons.

One appreciates that the programme for remission of sentences has reduced the prison population, but the numbers are still far too high.
And despite the comments by the Hon Minister that new prisons don't deal with overcrowding, some 24,000 additional beds would make the world of difference.


Inadequate Prison Building Programme

There is a desperate need for the 8 proposed new prisons. The department has to take urgent steps to bring the Portfolio Committee up to speed with their proposals and the indicate to us envisaged time frames if we are to support this years budget allocation.

I would also want to see these new prisons being developed along the line of work prisons to ensure that we are going to achieve the aims of the department to maintain the human dignity of inmates, develop their sense of social responsibility and promote the general development of all inmates.

I will deal further with this issue shortly.


Alternative Sentencing

We need a major overhaul on the Justice Delivery System and it is high time the Departments of Safety & Security and Justice took responsibility for their shortcomings in the system, and alleviated seriously considered improved methods and alternative sentencing to ease the burden that falls on the Department of Correctional Services:

Together we need to agree:
.     Community corrections or community service for minor crimes
.     Minimum sentence legislation (prisoners are serving longer terms than before)
.     Deduction for time spent awaiting-trial
.     Persons convicted in Regional Courts wait for more than a year in prison before being sentenced in High Court and when these are youngsters it is really unacceptable


Rehabilitation

.     Work prisons needed where inmates can obtain skills and work to generate revenue
.     Preparation for re-integration into community
.     2005/06: Department revenue of R33 million from prisoners' goods and services
.     Support budget, but stress:
-     More new prisons needed to alleviate overcrowding
-     Alternative sentencing be used more extensively
-     Work prisons to assist with rehabilitation
-     Teamwork between the Department and the PC.


In Conclusion
We will for the moment at this stage support the Budget Vote but stress:

-     The new prisons are urgently needed to alleviate overcrowding
-     Alternative sentencing must be used more extensively
-     Work prisons are needed to assist with rehabilitation, skills development and re-integration into society.