Latest news with #correctional
The Herald
6 days ago
- The Herald
Phone found in Meyiwa accused's cell prompted C-Max transfer: DCS
The department of correctional services (DCS) has dismissed allegations of maltreatment made by Fisokuhle Ntuli, one of five men on trial for the murder of Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa. Ntuli had accused officials at the C-Max high-security section of Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre in Pretoria of abusing him. DCS spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said Ntuli's claims were baseless and appeared to be part of a growing trend by inmates to manipulate the system and avoid accountability for their actions. Nxumalo said that during a search operation on July 8 led by national commissioner Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale, Ntuli was found in possession of a mobile phone — an item strictly prohibited in correctional facilities. 'A security official, present during the search, questioned the inmate about the device, to which he admitted ownership and confirmed usage. The search was conducted in a professional and orderly manner, and at no point was the inmate subjected to torture or any form of ill-treatment. The offender fully complied with officials throughout the process,' he said. Nxumalo said the confiscated phone was handed over to the police for forensic downloading and further investigation. Based on the offender's conduct and associated risk profile, Nxumalo said he was reclassified and subsequently transferred to the C-Max facility, in line with existing correctional procedures. Nxumalo said the department had observed a recurring narrative where offenders resorted to false allegations in an attempt to evade disciplinary consequences or to secure transfers to other centres. 'Correctional services is governed by strict standard operating procedures and a clear legislative framework that promotes humane treatment, rehabilitation and secure custody. Being in possession of a mobile phone inside a correctional facility constitutes a serious violation. 'It is unacceptable for any offender to deflect blame by concocting stories in an attempt to escape consequences. Inmates are expected to respect the code of conduct and behave in a manner befitting their rehabilitation journey,' he said. Nxumalo said attempts to weaponise human rights discourse to shield oneself from the consequences of wrongdoing was not only dishonest but an insult to the principles of justice and fairness. 'Correctional services will not be deterred in its duty to ensure discipline, safety and the upholding of the rule of law within its facilities,' he said. TimesLIVE
CBC
17-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Province adding 150 new jail beds. Experts say they aren't enough to address overcrowding concerns
Social Sharing Ontario's solicitor general says the province is adding 150 beds to three jails across the province using modular construction — a "Band-Aid" solution, experts say, that doesn't do enough to address overcrowding. The announcement comes not long after the province's ombudsman raised concerns about an overcrowding "crisis" in Ontario's correctional facilities, saying some are operating at more than 150 per cent of their capacity, compromising safety for inmates and staff alike. Solicitor General Michale Kernzer said Thursday that the investment was not just about new beds or buildings, but a message to criminals from Ford's "tough-on-crime government." "If you commit a violent crime in Ontario, you will be caught, you will be prosecuted, and you will be locked up," he said. Kernzer made the announcement Thursday at the Niagara Detention Centre, which will expand by 50 spaces, as will the Vanier Centre for Women in Milton, and the Cecil Facer Youth Centre in Sudbury, which is also being converted to an adult facility. Construction is expected to begin next year and cost the province more than $180 million. While Kernzer said the investment would uplift a "strained and overburdened" correctional system, experts and people who deal with Ontario's correctional institutions say the province needs to hire more staff, alleviate overcrowding in jails and fund community-based solutions. "Realistically there need to be hundreds and hundreds more beds if we are going to truly try and treat people with a modicum of dignity and humanity," said defence lawyer Alison Craig, who works with many clients currently in provincial jails. The ombudsman's June report found a "state of crisis" in the province's jails, hearing complaints about a range of issues, from frequent lockdowns to overcrowding. In some cases, the report found three inmates were bunking in cells made for two. More beds, modern institutions needed: union rep Janet Laverty, chair of the ministry employee relations committee for Ontario Public Services Employees Union, which represents corrections officers, says the new beds are a "medium-term solution" to help modernize facilities. "There are no simple fixes to these challenges," she said, saying appropriate staffing resources will be added when the expansions are operational. "The reality is we need more beds across our system. More beds means we need new and modern correctional institutions and building new institutions takes time." Premier Doug Ford has also recently been pushing the federal government for stricter bail laws and urging judges and justices of the peace not to let violent, repeat offenders out on bail when they are charged with a new crime. Provincial jails hold people accused of a crime but not out on bail, as well as those serving sentences of two years less a day, but advocates have pointed out the vast majority fit into the first category and have not been convicted. Staffing, community solutions more important, say others Craig says nearly all of her clients are "triple-bunking" in tight cells and overcrowding is a concern in all of the province's facilities. She says before beds are added at facilities, the province needs to address under-staffing. "The conditions at all of the jails at the moment are absolutely inhumane," she said. "What they need to invest in is people to make the beds that we currently have livable and then after that is addressed, perhaps additional beds is the next step." Stacey Hannem, criminology professor at Wilfred Laurier University, says the new beds barely alleviate issues in the correctional system. She says the province needs to first address the root causes of crime and fund communities to manage mental health, substance use and access to housing. "Throughout history, you look at periods of economic crises and periods of great disparity and inevitably that leads to more people coming into conflict with the law," Hannem said. "My first thought is that 150 beds across the Ontario system is like putting a Band-Aid on a giant gaping wound," she said.
Washington Post
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
What to know about the African kingdom of Eswatini where the US sent 5 deportees
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — The United States has deported five immigrants from Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba, Yemen and Laos to Eswatini , a small country in southern Africa where the king still holds absolute power. Eswatini says it is holding the men in correctional facilities until they can be sent to their home countries, after it became the latest nation to accept third-country deportees from the U.S.
CTV News
14-07-2025
- CTV News
Inquest called into Manitoba inmate death in 2021
William Walter Ahmo (pictured) a member of the Sagkeeng First Nation and an inmate at the Headingley Correctional Centre, died Feb. 14, 2021 following an incident with correction officers.(Submitted: Darlene Ahmo)
Zawya
07-07-2025
- Zawya
ADJD adopts updated guide for rehabilitation centers under Zero Bureaucracy Program
The Correctional and Rehabilitation Policies Committee at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) approved updated guide for correctional and rehabilitation centers, including new organizational structure and development and integration of 18 operational processes, aligning with the Department's initiative to eliminate bureaucracy, streamline procedures, and enhance institutional performance—aiming to establish a pioneering and advanced judicial and correctional system. The announcement came during a committee meeting chaired by H.E. Counselor Yousef Saeed Al Abri, Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, during which the detailed provisions of the updated guide and its implementation mechanisms were reviewed. The guide is based on international best practices to ensure a qualitative shift in the operations of correctional centers, transforming them into platforms that foster positive change and self-development with the goal of rehabilitating inmates and enabling their successful reintegration into society. Counselor Al Abri emphasized that updating the guide aligns with the Department's strategy to build an integrated and continuously evolving correctional system driven by innovation, this contributes to improving the quality of services offered within correctional facilities and achieving tangible outcomes in the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates. He noted that the restructuring of operations and the new organizational framework reflect the Department's commitment to sustainable institutional transformation, fostering a correctional ecosystem rooted in innovation, this approach supports Abu Dhabi's vision of excellence and leadership in the justice sector, ensuring a balance between maintaining public safety and providing genuine opportunities for inmates to begin new lives founded on responsibility and productivity. He added that the newly adopted methodology for preparing the guide is based on transparency, governance, and administrative integration. It aims to elevate the quality of rehabilitative services and create an environment that supports psychological, educational, and vocational rehabilitation programs—empowering inmates to return to society as active and productive individuals.
