Presentation on Children Awaiting Trial

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Presentation on Children Awaiting Trial

• Presentation to the
• Portfolio Committee
• Chief Directorate Children
• 24/01/2007

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Background

• DoSDs objectives with regard to the Child
  Justice System
• Implementation of the Probation Services Act (Act
  116 of 1991),
• Provision of assessment services for arrested
  children
• Provision of Diversion services
• Provision of alternatives for children awaiting
  trail
• Implementation of the Home based supervision
  programmes
• Provision of adequate and appropriate Secure
  Care facilities
• Pre-trial and pre-sentence reports
• Alternative sentencing options

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Progress made

• 1996
• 80 sw providing probation services
• No assistant probation officers
• No RAR/one stop child justice centre
• No secure care
• 6000 Diversion

• 2005/6-2006/7
• 785 Probation officers, plan- 1072
• 72 APOs - plan 940
• 196 VAPOs
• 53 RARs- plan 43
• 3 one stop child justice centres- plan 4
• 33 Secure care/POS, plan 35
• 30,000 Diversion plan 74,000

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Statistics of children awaiting trial

• 2004
• Prisons 1700
• Secure Care 2000
• Home-based Supervision 0

• 2006
• Prisons 1033
• Secure Care 1711(23 Jan 07)
• Home-based Supervision 3037
• (as from April to Dec06)

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PROVINCE Social Development facilities Children Awaiting Trial Capacity (beds) No. of Children (Male Female) December 2006
MPUMALANGA Hendrina capacity 60 beds 52 males
Sub-total 60 52 (8 vacancies)
KWAZULU-NATAL Excelsior 74 47 (courts do not refer)
KWAZULU-NATAL Valley View 20 5 males
KWAZULU-NATAL Ocean View 15 11 males
KWAZULU-NATAL Greenfields 10 0
KWAZULU-NATAL Pata 35 38 males
KWAZULU-NATAL Ngwelezana POS 15 1 (courts do not refer)
KWAZULU-NATAL Umlazi POS 10 0 (courts do not refer)
Sub-total 179 102
EASTERN CAPE Enkuselweni SCC 50 53 males
EASTERN CAPE Erica C Y CC 50 18 females 17 males
EASTERN CAPE John X Merriman 25 15 (courts do not refer)
EASTERN CAPE POS Umtata (outsourced busy with staff recruitment) 50 0
Sub-total 175 116 (59 vacancies)
GAUTENG Mogale SC 500 311 males
Walter Sisulu SC 90 39 males( structural issues)
Protem SC 120 80 males
Jabulani SC 130 59 females 39 males
Norman POS (f) 5 0
Tutela POS(f) 60 30 females 30 males
Van Ryn SC 60 43 females 45 males
Sub-total 960 662

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LIMPOPO Polokwane 70 37 females 23 males
Sub-total 70 60
NORTHERN CAPE Marcus Mbetha Sindisa 40 20
NORTHERN CAPE Molehe Mampe 60 40
NORTHERN CAPE Lerato 50 30
Sub-total 150 90
FREE STATE Tshireletsong 48 16 ( structural damage)
FREE STATE Matete Matches 40 32 males 1 female
Sub-total 88 49
NORTH -WEST Reamogetswe Care Centre, Brits 35 25 males
Pabalelo Place of Safety, Odi 20 not functioning-moving to Gauteng
Sub-total 55 25
WESTERN CAPE Bonnytoun House 190 134
Outeniekwa House 77 74
The Horizon 185 192
Vredelust House 60 45 females 16 males
Lindelani 60 44 males
Clanwilliam 50 50
Sub-total 572 555
Total 2199 1711 (488 vacancies)
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Progress Secure Care

• KZN in this financial year, conversion of unit
  at Newcastle School of Industry to a Secure Care
  Centre to house 30 children still has to
  commence. Kwa-Zulu/Natal has also registered a
  PPP with National Treasury to build, operate and
  transfer 4 new secure care facilities. The
  location of these will be Durban,
  Pietermaritsburg, Ladysmith and KwaMbonambi and
  their envisaged completion date is March 2008.
• Eastern Cape will be opening a place of safety
  for youth in conflict with law in Mthata and will
  be operational in 2007. The facility has been
  outsourced and the management is busy with staff
  recruitment. The facility will accommodate 50
  children that is 15 girls and 45 boys awaiting
  trial. Two new SCC are planned for 2007/08 in
  East London, Qumbu and Aliwal North with a
  capacity of 50 beds each.
• The North West Province The 2 Secure Care Centres
  in (Matlosane) Klerksdorp and Mafikeng both with
  a capacity of (60) will also be used as a One
  Stop Child Justice centres. Both centres are
  envisaged to be operational by the end of 2006/07
  financial year as they are 95 near completion.
  The Department is in the process of procuring for
  the 2 facilities. A 3rd SCC in Rustenburg is
  expected to be completed in August 2007 with a
  capacity of (100 beds) (60m/40f).
• So far 44 children have been placed under home
  based supervision.

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Progress Secure Care

• Mpumalanga Upgrading of Hendrina SCC has been
  completed and the envisaged launch date is
  February 2007. The capacity has increased to 70
  beds (60 boys 10 girls). As per agreement with
  the cluster stakeholders, children are being
  accommodated at EThokomala Reform School (boys)
  and Bethal Correctional Centre (girls) as an
  interim arrangement. Two new SCC are planned for
  Enkangala and Ehlanzeni districts for 2007/08
  financial year.
• Northern Cape Springbok (NC) 60 bed 50m/10f.
  Construction in new financial year. Operational
  2007. De Aar 2007/08 60 beds 50m/10f.
  Re-assessments are being done on all children in
  DCS facilities.
• Free State The Bloemfontein Secure Care Centre
  has been completed and the envisaged launch date
  is March 2007. It will provide accommodation for
  50 (40m/10f) children. Expansion possibilities
  have been provided for. A total amount of R1, 5m
  has been allocated for the implementation of this
  programme during the financial year 2006/2007.
  Tshireletsong place of safety with a capacity of
  48 (Boys) children can only accommodate 16
  children at the moment due to infra-structure
  problems, which are being addressed in
  conjunction with Public works.. The consultants
  for the One Stop Child Justice Centre and SCC in
  Qwa Qwa have been appointed and the Steering
  Committee is meeting on a regular basis to
  discuss the plans. The facility will cater for 60
  (50 m/10f) children, with expansion
  possibilities. The total estimated building cost
  for the two facilities is R52, 799,489.10 (R33,
  050, 306.24 for secure care and R19, 749,189.86
  for One Stop) The One Stop CJC in Welkom is also
  planned. Currently challenges regarding the
  acquisition of the identified site and funds for
  the establishment of the centre are experienced.
  It is envisaged that the Bloemfontein One Stop
  Child Justice Centre and Secure Care Centre will
  become a centres of excellence for child justice
  issues

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Progress Secure Care

• Gauteng Funds have been allocated for the
  implementation of the CJB in the new financial
  year, and part of this allocation will be used to
  start with the planning of another SCC (Secure
  Care Centre/s) for the province.
• The current contract with Bosasa expires end
  March and a new tender has been issued.
• In a recent press release by the MEC for Social
  Development in Gauteng the following was stated
  The Department of Public Works identified Walter
  Sisulu as the only SCC suitable for upgrading of
  the facility by 2007/08. R7m provided.
  Contractors are on site.
• Jabulani was unsuitable for purposes of secure
  care and needs to be replaced. R30m will be
  allocated in the MTEF period. The situation at
  Jabulani will receive immediate attention to
  improve conditions for children.
• The re-built Van Ryn and Protem were not suitable
  as SCCs . A new SCC will replace these
  facilities at Norman House in Ekurhuleni. R30m
  has been allocated in the MTEF period.

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Progress Secure Care

• Limpopo Polokwane Secure Care Centre has been
  upgraded to 120 beds (100boys/20 girls). Bosasas
  contract has just been renewed for the 2nd term
  of facility management.
• A new SCC is being built in Malamulela providing
  for 60 children (10 girls). The centre is
  envisaged to be operational in March 2007. The
  SCC will cater for northern areas. A third centre
  with a capacity of 40 (30 boys 10 girls) is
  planned in Waterberg and might be operational in
  March 2008.

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Progress Secure Care

• Western Cape Although the number of children
  awaiting trial in prison has significantly
  decreased due to an effective intersectoral
  mechanism, the province is planning to gradually
  increase capacity at Outeniequa secure care from
  70 -120, and at the Clan Williams secure care
  from 50 to 60, Bonnytoun from 170 to 185 and
  Lindelani from 60 to 75. New facilities are also
  planned for the MTEF period in Worcester (80),
  Caledon (50) and Beaufort West (15)

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Assessments

• Probation officers are assessing children in
  correctional centres on a daily basis in order to
  make recommendations for alternative options
• 29578 children have been assessed nationally as
  from April to December 2006

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Monitoring Database and tracking of children in
secure care facilities

• The department has utilised its allocation of
  funds from IJS project to purchase computers for
  a business intelligence system for secure care
  data, to make it possible for regional,
  provincial and national offices to have immediate
  access to the database of children in secure care
  and places of safety.
• This will address the problem of irregular
  reporting on children in secure care and those
  who have been moved from correctional services
  facilities to secure care.
• The training of government and secure care
  facilities officials on the system took place on
  the 18th September 2006 and a follow up training
  on the 04th to 05th December 2006.
• A roll-out of the system to all the Provinces
  will be conducted in February 2007.

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Prisoner prediction model

• R8.4million ring-fenced for
• Capacity building
• Detention Management (SC)
• Probation Case Management System
• Infrastructure Support

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Diversion

• Approximately 19 631 children have been diverted
  as from April to Dec06. However a more concerted
  effort is required to fund NGOs who are
  implementing this programme as children are
  committing violent and sexual offences.
• User friendly booklet for minimum standards is
  being finalised and envisaged launch is March
  2007
• Audit of all diversion services
• Accreditation of diversion services
• Training
• Communication strategy

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Human Resources

• Probation officers
• The Department has approximately 785 probation
  officers.
• Assistant Probation officers
• A volunteer probation assistant programme has
  been established in collaboration with
  Umsobomvubu Youth Fund and the National Youth
  Service Programme to recruit and train 940 young
  people as assistant probation officers over a
  period of three years.
• These young people will assist probation officers
  in providing services to children in conflict
  with the law, especially with regard to the
  implementation of home-based supervision and
  family finding.
• To date 196 young people from seven provinces
  have completed block one training and have been
  introduced to experiential/workplace learning
• This programme will therefore provide the
  Department with a core group of personnel whose
  main focus will be to decrease the number of
  children awaiting trial in prison and or secure
  care.
• Capacity Building
• Capacity building of probation officers on
  restorative justice, diversion and assessment
  procedure is currently offered to most probation
  officers. 720 were trained in the previous
  financial year on restorative justice, diversion,
  sexual offenders programme assessment procedures
  and report writing techniques..

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Challenges

• Adherence to Memoranda of understanding/protocols
  between the relevant departments for the
  management of children awaiting trial.
• Regular cluster Child Justice provincial meetings
  to be held on regular basis to deal with
  intersectoral concerns and responsibilities.
• Strengthening and recognition of the value of
  diversion and home based supervision programmes
• The development of a model for the management of
  children in conflict with the law.
• Transporting of children designated to reform
  schools and schools of industry
• Enactment of the Child Justice Bill would enforce
  services to children in conflict with the law by
  all stakeholders.
• More funds are required to recruit and train more
  young people for the volunteer assistant
  probation officers programme