15/06/2004 13:14 - (SA)

Cape Town - Newly appointed Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour committed himself on Tuesday to a "radical" transformation of the correctional system with the emphasis on rehabilitation.

Introducing debate on his budget vote in an extended public committee of the National Assembly, he also mooted the possibility of making rehabilitation programmes for offenders compulsory.

Balfour said he was convinced correction and rehabilitation was the only way to insulate society against the cycle of crime. "No high walls will do this. It is only a conversion on the part of all of us to embracing and promoting the correcting of offending behaviour that will bring about a positive change in the cycle of crime that we have to endure," he said.

A "mind-shift" in the approach to dealing with offenders was required. The dualistic paradigm of crime and punishment alone could not achieve a nation free of crime and at peace with itself. The belief that humans deserved opportunities to repay society for wrongs they had committed and a second chance to claim their place as good citizens should inform the approach to criminal justice.

"There was a tremendous amount of anger within communities directed at inmates. At various times, this anger was also directed at the government with accusations that offenders had more rights than victims of crime; that offenders were provided with free board and lodging including three meals a day that millions of other law-abiding South Africans did not have access to," Balfour said.

"There is the argument that offenders forfeit their human rights and protection under the Constitution once they have been found guilty of crimes and there is often also the perception that offenders remain contemptuous of the rule of law," Balfour said.

"It remains the responsibility of correctional services to convince the public through our actions that offenders sentenced by the courts, come to prison as punishment, not for punishment and further, that correction and rehabilitation do not translate into treating offenders with kidgloves."

On the contrary, correction and rehabilitation were aimed at protecting the safety and security of the public. It served no purpose to release angry young people into society who had had no benefit of correction and rehabilitation.

"All we do is to provide them with an excuse to unleash even further hardships on our communities through repeat offending. Surely, we can distinguish between those who can be described as incorrigible and those who are in need of correction and rehabilitation.

"While I will not use the iron fist in giving effect to the core business of correctional services, I will also not hesitate to protect society against those offenders who refuse to be rehabilitated," he said.

In this regard, a review of the policy of intervention programmes was needed. "I am not convinced that programmes of rehabilitation should be voluntary, especially for young offenders and juveniles," said Balfour said.