CHILD JUSTICE BILL:

Department of Correctional Services

INDEX

  

 

I BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES

II STATISTICS

III PREPARATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CHILD JUSTICE BILL

IV BUDGET IMPLICATIONS

I BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES The purpose of Correctional Services:

* Enforcing sentencing of courts

* Detention of all prisoners

* Promotion of social responsibility and human development

* Currently Correctional Services Amendment Act 14 of 1996 provides for children under 14 not to be detained in prison awaiting trial.

II STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

• Prisoners in custody as on 31 December 2002

* Unsentenced prisoners = 56 459

* Sentenced prisoners = 128 655

* Total prisoner population = 185 114

* Total accommodation capacity = 110 874

* Percentage of overpopulation = 167%

* Unsentenced children = 2 371

* Sentenced children = 1 765 (20 of whom are awaiting designation to Reformatories).

* Total number of children = 4 136

• Types of crime categories and numbers of children (unsentenced)

* Economical = 986

* Aggressive = 1016

* Sexual = 283

* Narcotics = 15

* Other = 71

• Types of crime categories and numbers of children (sentenced)

* Economical = 766

* Aggressive = 668

* Sexual = 262

* Narcotics = 16

* Other = 53

• Provinces according to the number of children (Unsentenced)

* Kwazulu/Natal = 696* Western Cape = 457* Eastern Cape = 432* Gauteng = 426* Free State = 170* Limpopo = 2* Northern Cape = 57* North West = 69* Mpumalanga = 62TOTAL = 2371

• Provinces according to the number of children (Sentenced)

* Kwazulu/Natal = 298* Western Cape = 330* Eastern Cape = 296* Gauteng = 299* Free State = 137* Limpopo = 71* Northern Cape = 129* North West = 123* Mpumalanga = 82TOTAL = 1765

• Average cycle time before awaiting trial children are sentenced – 126,33 days (± 4 months)

• Community Corrections Capacity

* Correctional Supervision cases = 25 246

* Parole Supervision cases = 47 733

* Total Probationers and parolees in Community Corrections

= 72 979

* Total children in Community Corrections System = 2 012

* Number of social workers = 163

* Number of monitoring officials = 1 173

* Others = 620

* Total = 1 956

* Number of Community Corrections Offices = 192

* Number of satellite = 152

III PREPARATIONS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BILL

• Release Preparations* Directives from Justice

• Community Corrections System

* Establishment of satellite and sub-officers* Community participation* Marketing of Community Corrections* Training officials* Setting of conditions and parent involvement

• Restorative Justice

* Adaptation and launching of Restorative Justice approach by Correctional Services during 2001.

* Establishment of a Task Team* Awareness raising campaigns* Training of officials* Victim-Offender Mediation Protocol* National Conference by the South African Justice, Crime Prevention and Social Cluster partners.

IV BUDGET IMPLICATIONS

• The current budget allocations for D.C.S amounts to R7.026 billion

• The per capita cost of incarceration amount to R97.75 per prisoner per day

(personnel inclusive)

• The direct cost of incarceration (Personnel exclusive) amounts to R8.20 per day

• The per capita of community corrections (Personnel exclusive) amounts to R2.75 per

day

• The total current budget provision for children in detention amount to R148.7 million

which represents a 2.1% of our Total budget allocation

• The current number of children in prison 4136

Projected Savings 20 Percent reduction of sentenced and Unsentenced children

20% Increase in Community Corrections

Services 2002/2003 2003/2004 2004/2005 2005/2006

Detention of unsentenced children

85 022 68 018 68 018 68 018

Children serving sentence

62 973 50 378 50 378 50 378

Correctional Supervision

730 876 876 876

Total Financial Implication 148 725 119 272 119 272 119 272

Total Financial Implication with 6% Inflation 148 725 126 428 134 014 142 055

Nominal Savings(Personnel inclusive)

Services Expected Reduction

2003/2004R’000

2004/2005R’000

2005/2006R’000

5% reduction in child prisoners

-207 7 696 8 004 8 324

10% reduction in child prisoners -415 15392 16 008 16 648

20% reduction in child prisoners

-830 30 783 32 014 33 295

50% reduction in child prisoners -2074 76 958 80 036 83 237

Please note: These calculations is based on a per capita cost of 97.75 per

prisoner per day with a 4% provision for inflation

Real Saving(Personnel exclusive)

Services Expected Reduction

2003/2004

R’000

2004/2005R’000

2005/2006R’000

5% reduction in child prisoners

-207 646 672 699

10% reduction in child prisoners -415 1 291 1 343 1 397

20% reduction in child prisoners

-830 2 582 2 685 2 792

50% reduction in child prisoners -2074 6 455 6 713 6 982

Please note: These calculations is based on a per capita cost of 8.20 per

prisoner per day with a 4% provision for inflation