Report of the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services on 2006/7 Budget Vote 20 and the 2006/7-2010/11 Strategic Plan of the Department of Correctional Services

Supplement to Committee Report

National Assembly

The Report of the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services on Budget Vote 20 was tabled on 22 May 2006. The report was noted by the National Assembly on 23 May 2006.

The Committee met on 25 May 2006 and adopted an amendment to a recommendation under the Facilities programme in the report,

The Committee supports the allocation to the Facilities programme and welcomes the construction of eight new prisons in the near future. The Committee must be regularly updated on the progress of the building of New Generation facilities. At present, due to insufficient information, the Committee cannot make a decision on whether to support or not to support the construction of the new prisons using the Public Finance Model (PFM). The Committee requires a full written report and verbal briefing, before 12 June 2006, by the DCS highlighting the comparative cost implications, in both the short and long term, for building using conventional processes, the PFM or the PPP routes. The Committee supports the decision by the DCS to review the contracts of the existing public-private prisons and believes that these prisons may be better utilised for juvenile and minimum offenders.