OVERCROWDING AN IJS ISSUE

1
OVERCROWDING AN IJS ISSUE

• Presentation to Portfolio Committee by DCS
• February 2003

2
JCPS ISSUE

• DCS initiative for JCPS attention to overcrowding
  as Cluster issue
• JCPS set up inter-dept Overcrowding Task Team to
• produce a comprehensive assessment of
  overcrowding in prisons by addressing
• Sources of increasing prison numbers
• Responsibility for Awaiting trial prisoners
• Utilisation of available accommodation/needed
  accommodation for adults

3

• Planning of needed accommodation
• Utilisation of available accommodation/needed
  accommodation for children
• Audit of steps being taken to improve efficiency
  of IJS processes regarding awaiting trial
  prisoners cases in all Departments
• Propose steps to improve management of
  overcrowding

4

• PRISONERS IN CUSTODY AS ON 31 DECEMBER 2002
• UNSENTENCED 56 459
• SENTENCED 128 655
• TOTAL 185 114
•  

5
Extent of Prison Overcrowding 31 December 2002

• National occupancy level of 166.96 (66.96
  over-populated)
• 22 prisons lt 100 occupied
• 113 prisons between 100 175 occupied
• 92 prisons gt 175 occupied
• 57 gt 200 occupied (100 overpopulated)

6
Extent of Police Cell Overcrowding 31 July 2002

• Free State 461 cells 120 capacity
• Gauteng 987 cells gt100
• KZN 713 cells 75 capacity
• Mpumalanga 185 cells 75 capacity
• E Cape 727 cells 79 capacity
• Limpopo 387 cells 157 capacity
• N Cape 318 cells 53 capacity
• W Cape 605 cells 100 capacity
• N West 287 cells 110 capacity

7
DSD Facilities for Children awaiting trial

• Provincial DSD facilities currently for children
  awaiting trial Jul-02 GRAND TOTAL 2044
• Mpumalanga Total 57
• Kwazulu-Natal - Total 296
• Limpopo Total 16
• Northern Cape - Total 121
• Free State - Total 54
• North West - Total 45
• Western Cape - Total 592
• Eastern Cape - Total 48
• Gauteng - Total 815

8
Children in DCS Prisons December 2002

• Age Unsentenced Sentenced Total
• 7-13 years 7 5 12
• 14 years 155 41 196
• 15 years 365 154 519
• 16 years 779 515 1294
• 17 years 1065 1051 2116

9
Crime Categories ATDs in custody December
2002

• Economic crimes 18 904
• Aggressive 25 271
• Sexual 8 543
• Narcotics 819
• Other 2 922
• Total 56 459

10
Analysis per length of time in detention-ATDs
(31 Dec 2002)

• 3-6 months 9 943
• gt6-9 months 4 390
• gt9-12 months 2 573
• gt12-15 months 1 950
• gt15-18 months 1 146
• gt18-24 months 1 170
• gt 24 months 1 380
• Total 22 552 persons in prison, awaiting trial
  for longer than 3 months

11
Analysis of bail amounts per prisoner in custody

• R0-R50 2
• R51-R100 117
• R101-R150 87
• R151-R200 685
• R201-R300 1 508
• R301-R400 534
• R401-R500 3 891
• R501-R600 398
• R601-R700 127
• R701-R800 1 264
• R801-R900 13
• R901-R1000 3 953
• R1001 up 6 094
• Total 18 673

12
JCPS DECISIONS

• Overcrowding is Cluster responsibility
• Analysis of causes of trends in detention for
  proactive facility management prevention of
  overcrowding
• Strengthening of IJS at provincial area level
• better management of awaiting trial detention,
• improved inter-departmental management of
  overcrowding

13
CABINET LEKGOTLA JAN 2003

• Endorsed JCPS recommendations
• Overcrowding is JCPS priority for 2003
• Awaiting trial management to be handled
  inter-departmentally in meantime
• Policy gap on departmental responsibility for
  awaiting trial detainees to be filled

14
CURRENT WORK

• National Treasury coordinating team to align
  information systems to generate ongoing analysis
  of detention trends in IJS departments
• Increases in duration of awaiting trial detention
• No significant increase in rate of conviction
• No significant increase in overall seriousness of
  crimes for which offenders are convicted
• Changes in length of sentences
• No significant increase in intake of offenders
• Is significant decrease in the rate of exit

15
ATD POLICY DEVELOPMENT

• Setting up inter-departmental process to develop
  approach to policy on awaiting trial detainees
• will have to go to Cluster Portfolio Committees

16
AWAITING TRIAL DETAINEES

• Inter-departmental monitoring awaiting trial
  detention levels
• Provincial monitoring duration of ATDs
• Area level IJS to address detention levels in all
  IJS facilities
• Section 63 f releases
• Court backlog
• Improved docket and court preparation

17
SENTENCED PRISONERS

• IJS team to consider use of community
  correctional supervision more effectively
• Proposal for reconsideration of DCS parole
  guideline of ¾ of sentence for aggressive crime
  to be in line with 2/3 non parole period maximum
  set in Correctional Services Act 111
• Facility planning 4 new prisons that are
  designed to prevent overcrowding through careful
  cell space usage

18
SENTENCED PRISONERS

• Consideration of higher levels of overcrowding in
  ATD to reduce level in sentenced prisons
• Consideration of categories of prisoner for early
  release subject to profile assessment
• Women guilty of domestic violence spousal murder
• Prisoners over 65 years
• Mothers with children

19
CIVIL SOCIETY ROLE

• Range of institutions very concerned about
  overcrowding
• Inspecting Judge
• HRC and Public Protector
• Human Rights NGOs
• Prisoners Rights pressure groups
• Very emotive issue amongst families and detainees
• Harness creative solutions from society
• ???Bail Fund???
• ????Address monitoring for parolees???

20
POSSIBLE ROLE OF PORTFOLIO COMMITTEES

• Cluster Portfolio monitoring of ATD levels and
  duration
• Cluster Portfolio interaction on ATD policy gap
• Cluster Portfolio interaction on bail, sentencing
  and release policies
• Portfolio interaction with civil society on
  overcrowding to find creative solutions