Pretoria - The Department of Correctional Services has confirmed that offender Oscar Pistorius has been transferred to the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre, which is under the Kgosi Mampuru II Management Area.
According to the department, the Centre is used to accommodate offenders sentenced from 0-6 years and has rehabilitation and development programmes in place for all offenders in its care.
“It was after a very careful consideration of all important factors, that the management decided that Atteridgeville Correctional Centre was the best place to accommodate Pistorius.
“Since his incarceration, offender Pistorius was placed at the Remand Detention Centre which is used to accommodate awaiting trials and sentenced offenders who need full time hospitalisation or health care.
“This was done in order to accommodate his disability needs. However, the Remand Detention Centre does not have rehabilitation and development programmes necessary for sentenced offenders as it is strictly designed for awaiting trial detainees,” the department said in a statement.
During the month of May 2016, the Kgosi Mampuru II Management Area made a move which was long planned for, to upgrade the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre in order to accommodate disabled offenders, leading to the bath tub installations.
These upgrades were not strictly made for Pistorius, but to accommodate disabled offenders under Kgosi Mampuru II Management Area. Furthermore, the upgrades were done long before the management considered moving Pistorius to Atteridgeville.
The move, according to the department, will enable Pistorius to engage in departmental rehabilitation programmes which are tailored according to the offender's needs and length of his sentence.
These programmes are key in terms of rehabilitating the offending behaviour and do play a crucial role when one is considered for parole placement.
The department said Pistorius’ transfer was purely due to his application which was lawfully and procedurally considered and approved. – SAnews.gov.za
