Pretoria – Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Jeff Radebe says government has made great advances in creating opportunities for members of society to participate in the correction of offenders.
These include initiatives such as the Victim-Offender Dialogues (VOD) and encouraging offenders to sign up for various education programmes to help break the cycle of crime.
Addressing the media at a post-State of the Nation Address briefing as the Chair of the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security JCPS) Cluster in Cape Town on Wednesday, Minister Radebe explained that the VOD programme was geared towards ensuring that victims of crime are not erased from public memory once the courts sentence the offender.
“As government, we acknowledge that the loss suffered by victims is irreplaceable, and that the healing of wounds and pain is a process that does not end once guilt is established by the courts,” he said.
The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) introduced the VOD programme in November 2012. The aim of the programme is to strengthen the current rehabilitation and reintegration programmes of DCS by placing the victim at the centre of the corrections process.
This process, according to the department, is premised on the principles of restorative justice, as outlined in the White Paper on Corrections.
It requires DCS to encourage restoration between victims, offenders and communities in consultation or partnership with stakeholders.
Also as part of rehabilitation, government has in the past five years intensified the focus on the education of offenders, said Minister Radebe.
“Our prisons are now correctional centres of rehabilitation. Offenders are given new hope and encouragement to adopt a lifestyle that will result in a second chance towards becoming ideal citizens,” he said.
Flowing from the adoption of compulsory education, illiterate inmates on the pre-ABET programme increased by 100% from 1300 to 2600, a good progress towards covering over 5500 completely illiterate offenders.
According to Minister Radebe, over 9700 offenders are on ABET programme, 3525 are on Further Education and Training levels (including grades 10-12), and 1762 offenders are undertaking their post school studies. – SAnews.gov.za
