Nicro on Reintegration of Juvenile Offenders: briefing

Meeting report

CORRECTIONAL SERVICE PORTFOLIO COMMUTTEE

Submission to the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services on Juvenile offenders and their successful reintegration into society.

SUMMARY
The South African National Institute for Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders (NICRO) briefed the Committee on successes achieved in their juvenile offender reintegration programme. The Committee asked the delegation several question on the presentation to clarify NICRO's role in the matter. Its was apparent that NICRO's focus was on diversion which is avoiding sending juvenile offenders to jail and also reintegration which entails preventing these juveniles from re-offending.

MINUTES

NICRO briefing
NICRO briefed the Committee on successes achieved in their juvenile offender reintegration programme. Their four basic campaigns were the diversion programme; the community victim support programme; the economic opportunities project, and the offender reintegration programme. Both the victim and the offender benefitted from these. Diversion was their primary focus to keep juvenile offenders out of jails.

NICRO also focused on reintegration programmes to prevent re-offending. Contributing to this programme was the Ester Lategan Study Fund, a creative arts competition, the NICRO bus service, Working for Water and the Tough Enough programme.

Discussion
Mr Selfe (ID) asked for a holistic definition of rehabilitation.

Ms K Mpuang (NICRO National Programme Specialist: Offender Reintegration) responded that rehabilitation could only be achieved if each case was considered individually and dealt with each offender's unique issues.

Ms L Chikunga (ANC) asked that if admission of guilt was a prerequisite for offenders to receive help from NICRO. How did this infringe on their right to silence as admission could be self-incriminating? She also enquired about how long it would take for the various NICRO programmes to reach rural areas?

Mr Ruiters (NICRO National Programme Specialist: Diversion and Youth Development) answered that such an admission would not incriminate or infringe on their Constitutional rights as this information was inadmissible in court. NICRO could not reach all areas because of financial restraints. Legislation requiring compulsory diversion to occur all round South Africa should be passed in October.

Mr Xolo (ANC) asked what NICRO would do in extreme situations, for example, where children produced weapons in schools to intimidate teachers who wanted to discipline them. He also asked how NICRO would help to prepare communities with support structures to receive ex-prisoners? He asked whether NICRO would consult with traditional leaders or development structures to employ ex-prisoners.

Ms K Mpuang responded that where NICRO could reach community structures like police forums and traditional leadership, the issue of reintegration would be addressed.

Mr Ruiters added that NICRO would run life skills courses in schools within its reach. Teachers would also be trained to teach life skills where NICRO could not reach.

Mr Xolo (ANC) requested that NICRO's suggestions around reintegration be discussed with the new Minister of Traditional Affairs in Kwazulu-Natal.

Mr Burgess (ID) asked why nothing had been done about the problem of street children.

Mr Ruiters responded that street children would be excluded because of the requirements for diversion. For example; these children would need to have a fixed home address and a legal guardian to be considered for this programme. NICRO would try to extend the same type of protection granted by diversion to street children. The organisation lacked the resources to address this issue and other organisations, such as policing forums, should get involved.

Mr Moatshe (ANC) asked if anything could be done to shorten long juvenile sentences,a s this improved chance for reintegration. He also enquired about the possibility of extending employment projects, such as the Alien Vegetation Water project, to more ex-prisoners.

Ms Mpuang answered that these employment projects would not always exist because of a lack of resources. This specific project was also only possible where alien vegetation grew.

Mr C Molefe (ANC) stated that many of the problems mentioned originated from apartheid governance which disrupted family structures. He asked what NICRO's role would be in the development of the education systems curriculum. Mr Ruiters affirmed that NICRO was involved in this.

Ms Chikunga asked the causes when NICRO's diversion project had failed. She also enquired about the statistics highlighting the involvement of narcotics. She asked NICRO's thoughts on the general criticisms that prisons were being "turned into five-star hotels?"

Mr Ruiters answered that the statistics were unclear because in the past, accurate records had not been kept due to practices such as detention without trial. The reason for relapses included peer pressure and the breakdown of family structure. Statistics on narcotics use were available in the presentation handout.

Ms Mpuang felt that imprisonment was enough to strip a prisoner of his/her dignity - prisoners could never be compared to five-star hotels.

Mr Selfe asked if it was simply a resource issue that only 5 000 of 104 000 prisoners were involved in NICRO's programmes? He also enquired if there were other NGOs helping in jails?

Mr Ruiters answered that NICRO would always trying to inform and influence policymaking as much as possible. Ms Mpuang stated that the lack of resources made in impossible for NICRO to reach all prisons. Other NGOs were also involved. NICRO could only work with prisoners if they volunteered for assistance.

Mr Xolo was concerned about the spiritual care of prisoners and asked if NICRO consulted religious ministers visiting prisons. He questioned if NICRO's empowerment programmes increased the acceptance of prisoners after release. He further enquired if the art and poetry programmes were accepted by parents. Finally, he asked if NICRO would consult with the Department of Justice to speed up proscecutions.

Ms Mpuang answered that the prisoners' poetry would not necessarily be passed to family members, largely due to the volume of work produced. They had involved religious leaders in their reintegration efforts.

The Chairperson remarked that, if the Committee wished to address its mandate, the attitudes of particularly magistrates would need to be changed. Prison should be the very last resort for dealing with juveniles. More reform schools were needed and education should be compulsory He suggested that NICRO approach successfully reintegrated past offenders to financially contribute to their cause. He also suggested that prison choirs hold concerts to raise funds. He then invited NICRO to engage with all Members and present to the Committee at any time.

The meeting was adjourned.