SA jails: Rehab the only answer- Elsabe Brits, Die Burger
Posted by Memory Grace on Wednesday, January 28, 2009
22/06/2004 08:04 - (SA)
Cape Town - Prison terms in South Africa are increasingly becoming longer, probably because trespassers are becoming more violent or because there are more serial perpetrators than before.
According to the Institute of Security Studies (ISS), these are some of the reasons why the country's prisons are so full.
Offenders serving sentences of more than 20 years have increased from 1 885 in 1995 to 7 885, which constitutes an increase of 76%. Offenders serving sentences of between 15 and 20 years have increased by 68% in the same time period to 8 355.
A large number of prisoners serve between two and 10 years. This number has risen from 61 181 to 68 418 in seven years. Those serving between 10 and 15 years have trebled from 6 168 to 18 956.
According to the International Centre for Prison Studies, there are 400 prisoners for every 100 000 people in South Africa.
Prisons bursting at the seams
According to the ISS, many prisoners in South Africa slide back into crime after they are released from prison.
The department of correctional services wants to shift the focus to rehabilitation in an attempt to clear prisons that are bursting at the seams, according to a parliamentary white paper.
According to the paper, the department feels rehabilitation of prisoners can best be achieved through correction and development as opposed to punishment.
The department feels that rehabilitation requires the correction of wrong behaviour, human development and the development of social responsibility and values.
Cape Town - Prison terms in South Africa are increasingly becoming longer, probably because trespassers are becoming more violent or because there are more serial perpetrators than before.
According to the Institute of Security Studies (ISS), these are some of the reasons why the country's prisons are so full.
Offenders serving sentences of more than 20 years have increased from 1 885 in 1995 to 7 885, which constitutes an increase of 76%. Offenders serving sentences of between 15 and 20 years have increased by 68% in the same time period to 8 355.
A large number of prisoners serve between two and 10 years. This number has risen from 61 181 to 68 418 in seven years. Those serving between 10 and 15 years have trebled from 6 168 to 18 956.
According to the International Centre for Prison Studies, there are 400 prisoners for every 100 000 people in South Africa.
Prisons bursting at the seams
According to the ISS, many prisoners in South Africa slide back into crime after they are released from prison.
The department of correctional services wants to shift the focus to rehabilitation in an attempt to clear prisons that are bursting at the seams, according to a parliamentary white paper.
According to the paper, the department feels rehabilitation of prisoners can best be achieved through correction and development as opposed to punishment.
The department feels that rehabilitation requires the correction of wrong behaviour, human development and the development of social responsibility and values.