The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services, Ms Kgomotso Anthea Ramolobeng, noted with grave concern what seems to be an increase of attacks in correctional centres, especially of offenders on officials.
Ms Ramolobeng said: “This seems to be a trend now, a very worrying one as our facilities are already overcrowded with inmates, so the ratio of offender to official is high. It seems inmates at taking advantage of this fact.”
She called for tighter security at all correctional centres around the country. Her comments come in the wake of a stabbing incident on Wednesday morning at Pollsmoor Correctional Centre in Tokai. The incident left two inmates dead and two correctional officials injured. “We have been informed that the one official is in ICU, meaning that the injuries are serious.
The Chairperson said that during a recent committee oversight visit to St Albans Correctional Centre, inmates also stabbed an official – apparently because they were not given the permission to speak to the committee. “We cannot be perpetuating violence in our facilities. They are supposed to be places of rehabilitation but instead it seems to be breeding more violence. Offenders seem to be using our lower official numbers to plan attacks on our officials. It is unacceptable.
“We call on the department to fill all vacant funded posts, especially those that can lead to more officials guarding the ever-increasing inmate population. Furthermore, we call on all in the criminal justice system, to come up with strategies to lighten the load in our severely overcrowded facilities. The department is after all at the tail end of the criminal justice system with no control over its population size.”
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, MS KGOMOTSO ANTHEA RAMOLOBENG.
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