Reorganizing Corrections: Revisiting the Recommendations of the National Advisory Commission

In 1973 the National Advisory Commission on Standards and Goals recommended that correctional services be consolidated under a single state agency, arguing that cost efficiencies, improved communication, and greater employee professionalism would result. The National Advisory Commission advocated state rather than local control of probation, and executive rather than judicial branch control of probation services. It encouraged development of regional rather than local jails and recommended that states assume the operation and control of all local detention and correctional functions. This paper examines some of the arguments for consolidation of correctional services and attempts to determine the kinds of reorganization that have occurred since 1973.BACKGROUND / Reorganizing Institutional Corrections / Reorganizing Probation / Reorganizing Parole / REORGANIZATION OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES / Institutional Reorganization / Reorganization of Probation / Reorganization of Parole / THE FUTURE OF CORRECTIONAL REORGANIZATION / Juvenile Corrections / Adult Probation / Local Facilities / REFERENCE

An investigation on the perceptions of officials on their role in the rehabilitation process: the case of the East London Correctional Centre

This report is the result of a literature study and questionnaire which gave insight on the role of officials in the rehabilitation process. Correctional Services has adopted a new approach, where offenders need to change their negative behaviour and be rehabilitated. Corrections have a societal responsibility towards the community to guide the offender on his rehabilitation path. This study was conducted to give a better understanding of rehabilitation to offenders The purpose of this research is to determine if the Department of Correctional Services delivers on its legal and social responsibility towards the rehabilitation of offenders. In this study the researcher gathered information on the department policies, training of officials, the programmes currently available in Correctional Services, and also the involvement of the community in this process. Corrections cannot work alone, and needs the help of the community and leaders in the community to assist it in this process. Correctional Services faces many challenges in order to succeed in the rehabilitation of offenders. Currently there is a shortage of officials in the Department of Correctional Services, and the Department cannot, therefore, fully succeed in its rehabilitative role. Another aspect is that rehabilitation programmes are voluntary, and offenders can decide if they want to become involved or not

Prisoner transfer to South Africa: Some of the likely challenges ahead

For many years the South African government has been reluctant to enter into prisoner transfer agreements. This reluctance is demonstrated by at least two instances. The first is that in 2000 there was an attempt by an opposition member of parliament to move a private member's Bill on the transfer of offenders between South Africa and other countries. This Bill, although supported by some officials from the Department of Justice, was not passed because it was, inter alia, opposed by the Department of Correctional Services since, amongst other things, it did not provide for the cost of the prisoner transfer, and it was not clear if the Correctional Services Act3 was to be amended to empower the Minister of Correctional Services to administer the law relating to the transfer of offenders.International Bibliography of Social Science

Barnard v Minister of Justice: the minister’s verdict - Deciding on parole for offenders serving life sentences

Parole for offenders serving life sentences has ignited questions in media reports and political circles. This complexity becomes a touchy issue when it leaves more questions than answers after the grant or decline to place offenders on parole. This article evaluates the discretion of the minister to decline to grant parole under section 78(2) of the Correctional Services Act 25 of 2008 (CSA). This contribution argues that a minister’s discretion to refuse parole needs to be re- examined in the wake of the decision in Barnard v Minister of Justice, Constitutional Development & Correctional Services and another with regard to its content and context. The paper examines the drafting history to section 78(2) of the Correctional Services Act; evaluates the bounds of the Ministerial powers, and examines its recent application in Barnard. The final step involves recommending a working framework that may reconcile the position.DHE

Combined report on the eighth Judicial District Departments of Correctional Services for the year ended June 30, 2014

Combined report on the eighth Judicial District Departments of Correctional Services for the year ended June 30, 201

Analysis of post-secondary correctional education: case of Brandvlei Correctional Centre, Cape Town.

Masters Degree, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.The main aim of this study is explore the provision of PSCE to reduce recidivism amongst offenders studying through NSFAS. Violence in South Africa justifiably ignites anxiety as well as tension and issues about the government’s reaction to crime and violence have turned out to be exceptionally politically charged. The vision of the Department of Correctional Services is to provide the best correctional services for a safer South Africa and more specific to the study, the vision of their formal education department is to be one of the world’s leading providers of formal educational programmes, delivered with respectability and commitment to perfection, to persons assigned to their care. Literature primarily revealed that accumulation of educational achievements may improve employability and income. Secondly, an increase in the educational accomplishments of parents, may positively impact the educational achievements of their children. This may help to curtail the increase of intergenerational crime amongst the segments of the offender population, who were the most likely to reoffend. Research studies increasingly revealed that training levels of guardians were a solid indicator of the educational accomplishments of their children. The study employed a mixed-method approach, involving both quantitative and qualitative methods, utilising in-depth interviews (six), documentary analysis and survey methods (16 questionnaires) to elicit the views of offenders, Department of Correctional Services officials as well as their formal education management unit about the effectiveness of post-secondary correctional education at their centre. The study revealed that offenders felt that the Department of Correctional Services was not investing in improving ways to attract additional offenders into the post-secondary correctional education space. Consequently, offenders sourced information for themselves and registered for their studies to obtain admission into higher education institutions. This finding, also reported in the literature, emphasised that higher education institutions were moving towards online delivery of courses and fewer universities would offer an education to offenders, since it was deemed to be troublesome and tedious. Based on the findings, it is recommended that the Department of Correctional Services have a comprehensive awareness programme to emphasise the importance of post-secondary correctional education, in increasing the chances of offenders finding employment upon release, thereby decreasing recidivism. Furthermore, the Department of Correctional Services should afford offenders with the opportunity to work within correctional centres in areas where their skills and qualifications are required

Co-existing violence and self-harm: dual harm in an early-stage male prison population

Purpose: This study examined the characteristics of men in prison who have a history of both self-harm and violence (known as dual harm) and the extent to which demographic and criminogenic factors, in-prison incidents and self-harm method could differentiate men who dual harm. Methods: Official prison sample data were examined for the period April 2010 to November 2017 (n = 965). Regression analysis of all custodial incidents, demographic and offending information, and imprisonment experience, was undertaken. Results: Self harm was associated with violence in prison, representing a 3.5-fold risk of violence compared with men who did not self-harm, after controlling for time in prison, age and index offence. 60% of men who harmed themselves also engaged in custodial violence, while 32% who were violent also had a self-harm event. After controlling for age at first incident, 11% of the sample had custodial history of dual harm and they accounted for 56% of all recorded custodial incidents. They had a high probability of property damage and fire-setting in prison and spent 40% longer in custody). Men who dual harmed used a greater variety of self-harm methods, with increased use of lethal methods. Conclusion: Dual harm is prevalent, particularly amongst those who harm themselves in prison. Men who dual harm contribute excessively to the overall incident burden in prison and demonstrate behavioural variability and risk regarding both violence and self-harm. The findings challenge the usual distinctive management responses or that self-harm or violence are solely the responsibility of health or justice; with greater integration required

Report on a review of the 8 Judicial Districts Department of Correctional Services for the period July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2014

Report on a review of the 8 Judicial Districts Department of Correctional Services for the period July 1, 2009 through June 30, 201

CHALLENGES FOR REHABILITATION OF SENTENCED OFFENDERS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF UNIT MANAGEMENT IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES: BETHAL MANAGEMENT AREA

In 1998 the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) made a paradigm shift from being purely punitive institutions to becoming rehabilitative correctional centres. The paper reports on a mixed method study done at correctional centres in the Bethal Management Area. The goal was to explore and describe how rehabilitation and unit management can be optimised to address the needs of offenders. The study concludes that in order to optimise rehabilitation and unit management, the Department of Correctional Services needs to prioritise the strengthening of human resources, including professionals, provide resources, increase vocational training opportunities for offenders, and improve infrastructure within correctional centres

Combined report on the eight Judicial District Departments of Correctional Services for the year ended June 30, 2019

Combined report on the eight Judicial District Departments of Correctional Services for the year ended June 30, 201