Pretoria – Inmates at correctional centres have produced almost 30 million kilograms of vegetables, fruit and meat at correctional centre farms and abattoirs during the past two years.
“During the past two financial years (April 2011 to March 2013), inmates at correctional centre farms and abattoirs produced 12 933 106 litres of milk, 1 135 319 kilograms of red meat, 3 604 149 kilograms of pork, 2 259 668 kilograms of chicken, 3 021 529 dozen of eggs, 18 121 193 kilograms of vegetables and 1 259 899 kilograms of fruit,” said Correctional Services Minister Sibusiso Ndebele on Wednesday.
He was speaking during the handing over of wheelchairs, assembled by offenders, to citizens at the Vuk’uhambe Home for the Disabled in Gugulethu, Cape Town. The wheelchairs were donated by Hillsong Africa Foundation.
The minister said the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) is there for offenders, as part of their rehabilitation programme, to plough back to communities and demonstrate remorse for crimes committed.
“One of the primary missions of corrections is to develop and implement correctional programmes that balance the concepts of deterrence, incapacitation and rehabilitation for individuals in correctional facilities,” he said.
According to Ndebele, at least 95 percent of those in custody will return to society.
DCS has various offender rehabilitation programmes which focus on restorative justice, skilling, training, reading and offender reintegration.
DCS has also adopted various orphanages and old age homes, and continues to donate excess products to disadvantaged communities.
“We are also proud to announce that yesterday (10 September), 522 inmates, from correctional centres in the Free State and Northern Cape who enrolled for a variety of courses and skills development programmes, graduated.
“The purpose of our correctional system is not punishment, but protection of the public, promotion of social responsibility and enhancing human development to prevent repeat offending or the return to crime.
“We insist that people who leave correctional centres must have appropriate attitudes, and competencies, to successfully integrate back into society as law-abiding and productive citizens,” Ndebele said. – SAnews.gov.za
