Latest news with #correctionalservices
The Herald
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald
Minister wants foreign offenders to serve time in countries of origin
Foreign criminals sentenced to jail time should ideally be deported to their countries of origin to serve their terms, says correctional services minister Pieter Groenewald. He hopes the home affairs department can assist with deportations of foreign offenders granted parole. His department spends R11m a day on inmates from other countries, he told parliament's correctional services portfolio committee on Tuesday. 'The South African taxpayer foots the bill for more than 24,000 foreigners in correctional facilities. Calculated at R463 per day, this results in an expense of R11,112,000 per day. 'We are exploring various solutions, including diplomatic approaches.' Anna Molepo, the department's chief deputy commissioner of community corrections, previously told the committee the number of sentenced foreigners in South African prisons was 12,676 in January 2025, which was 12.4% of the sentenced inmate population. The committee was briefed in February on the challenges the department faced, including the legal issues that affect deportation orders and the processing of foreigners. The department said it was working to ensure the Immigration Act aligns with the relevant frameworks. On Tuesday, Dereleen James, an ActionSA MP, called for accelerated deportation policies. 'Prisoners live in relative comfort while our communities are being destroyed, broken, under-resourced and forgotten,' James said. The R463 daily cost per inmate could fund 555,600 loaves of bread, enough to feed 277,800 households with two loaves each.
The Herald
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald
Raids reveal scale of gangs and corruption in correctional facilities
Correctional services minister Dr Pieter Groenewald says the department will intensify raids and crack down on corrupt officials as part of efforts to restore discipline and strengthen prisons as secure state assets. Addressing parliament during the department's budget vote in Cape Town on Tuesday, after his first year in the position, Groenewald said unannounced visits and raids were central to exposing the true extent of crime inside facilities. 'Wicked problems can be resolved once we remove the Band-Aid to inspect the wound properly, and we can only address our problems if we recognise their true extent,' he said. Groenewald said in the past year 466 raids were conducted, three in the past week. 'I have also conducted many unannounced visits at facilities. 'Unannounced visits and raids will increase in the year ahead. We are cleaning our correctional facilities and those aiding smuggling know their days are numbered.' Since July 2024, officials confiscated 33,874 cellphones, 20,577 sharpened objects, 232kg of drugs, cash totalling R394,450 and 122,407 items linked to alcohol and other substances. Groenewald said in 2024, 515 correctional officials received final written warnings, 181 were suspended without pay and 146 dismissed for wrongdoing.
CBC
16-06-2025
- CBC
Why drones pose such a challenge in Quebec detention centres
On any given day, drones buzz in the skies above Quebec's detention centres looking to drop tobacco, drugs or cellphones to the inmates below. Statistics from Quebec's public security minister show staff reported 274 drones flying over provincial centres between January and March — or just over three per day. That doesn't include the 10 federally-managed prisons in the province. Corrections spokespeople and a drone expert say the problem is growing, dangerous and hard to stop, despite millions of dollars invested by provincial and federal governments. Stéphane Blackburn, the managing director for Quebec's correctional services, described the threat of airborne contraband as "something we face every day." The provincial figures show 195 of the 247 drones were seen dropping packages. Most of them — 69 per cent — were reported as seized. The province also seized 896 cellphones. But the data shows drone sightings have been growing gradually in recent years. There were 695 drone sightings logged from April 2021 to the end of March of 2022. For the same period between 2024 and 2025, there were 1,175. They're also increasingly being spotted outside Montreal. "A few years ago, it was mainly in the metropolitan region that we saw drone events," Blackburn said. "Montreal has been subjected to the problems for several years now, and now we see a rise in drone events in certain regions." WATCH | How Quebec is trying to keep drug-smuggling drones out of its jails: How Quebec is trying to keep drug-smuggling drones out of its jails 20 days ago Duration 2:33 Blackburn says the most common forms of contraband are tobacco and cannabis, although cellphones, tools and other drugs are also seized. In recent weeks, the province has announced an additional $38.5 million worth of measures aimed at curbing contraband smuggling. Those include technological solutions such as drone and cellphone detectors, and physical infrastructure including fencing or netting around windows and courtyards. Workers will also be using mobile X-ray scanners and body scanners to detect items once they've been delivered. The federal government also announced a pilot project in March that will allow correctional staff to use radio-frequency jammers to block wireless communication to drones and cellphones in federal and Quebec detention centres. Frédérick Lebeau, the national president of the Union of Canadian Correction officers, said the rise in drone drops in correctional facilities has been "exponential" in recent years. "We can talk about several drops a day — three, four, it depends," he said. He said drops happen often when inmates are in the yard, and packages are quickly snapped up and hidden in body cavities or elsewhere. Sometimes, drones are flown directly to windows where inmates have dismantled the bars. He said the presence of contraband — including drugs and weapons — can create debts among inmates and allow criminal networks to operate, resulting in increased violence for detainees and corrections staff alike. "It's really an ecosystem," he said. "If there are more debts, there's more violence. If there's more drinking, more drugs, there's violent (incidents) where we have to intervene." Lebeau said that while new announcements by the different levels of government are "a step forward," many of the measures have only been put in place in a few institutions. In particular, he says there's a need for more jammers to stop drones from reaching jails and prisons, as well as body scanners to catch the drugs once they're dropped. "It's not just detecting drones, we have to catch them," he said. WATCH | Drugs are flying into prisons. Why aren't inmates facing more punishment? Drones are flying drugs into prisons, but the inmates involved face little punishment 5 months ago Duration 2:14 The case of a convicted drug trafficker whose online drug-selling platform was connected to the death of a Quebec teen has some calling for stronger actions against inmates who commit crimes while in prison. They are 'ubiquitous,' expert says Jeremy Laliberté, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Ottawa's Carleton University, says drones are an ideal tool for delivering contraband because they're "ubiquitous, inexpensive," and can be launched from kilometres away. "The folks who want to do this can buy them for a few hundred dollars, modify them, remove any identifying information and launch them and not even worry about getting them back," he said. He said the war in Ukraine — as well as domestic concerns about malicious operators — have spurred a growing interest in counter-drone technology, including better detectors that can locate both the drone and the operator. However, these systems are expensive and complex to develop, while "the drones themselves are hundreds of dollars." Laliberté said physical barriers such as fencing and netting as well as the detectors, jammers, and scanners can all work to protect detention centres, though he notes determined operators can find a way around any one measure. That's why he says a layered model that combines different strategies — the so-called "Swiss cheese model" — has the best chance of success. "There isn't going to be just one strategy that's going to be the magic bullet that stops everything," he said. "It's going to have to be a mix of things, because the technology, it's like an arms race. There's always going to be people trying to get better at this."
Zawya
11-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Correctional Services Committee Raises Concern About Department's Projected R1.4 Billion Over-Expenditure
The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services has raised its concerns about the Department of Correctional Services' (DCS) over-expenditure, which is projected to reach R1.4 billion. Yesterday, the committee heard that the department's year-to-date expenditure for the period ending 31 December 2024 is R21,6 billion (78%), while projected annual expenditure is R29,2 billion against the adjusted budget of R27,8 billion, which will result in projected overspending of R1,4 billion. The committee was briefed by the DCS on its second and third quarter performance report for the 2024/25 financial year. The projected overspending is due to a cost-of-living adjustment, effected in April 2024. In addition, the capital budget is underfunded by R222 million, constraining infrastructure upgrades and maintenance. Food costs have also surged, driven not only by inflation and a growing inmate population, but also by the rising number of foreign nationals housed in correctional facilities. The current budget is overspent due to rising municipal tariffs for electricity, water and sanitation, which have escalated above the consumer price index, creating further strain on the already stretched Goods and Services budget. The DCS also indicated that it faces fixed, inflexible costs for public–private partnership facilities, limiting room for reprioritisation. Additionally, the devolution of maintenance responsibilities from the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to DCS without a corresponding increase in the accommodation charges allocation has left a funding gap of R154 million. The information and technology branch's budget in the DCS is also severely constrained, hampering efforts to modernise digital infrastructure and cybersecurity, the committee was informed. Committee Chairperson Ms Kgomotso Anthea Ramolobeng said: 'Of course, we raised concerns about this trend. It is worrying although the factors for such overspending have been placed before us. We urged the department to tighten its belt, like using for example offender labour wherever possible in order to cut cost and that will result in a transfer of skills.' The committee heard that the DCS has implemented measures to curb projected over-expenditure of its budget vote by appointing a committee that is responsible for monitoring expenditure on a weekly basis. 'We noted these interventions and hope that the corrective measures will bear fruit. We will need a report detailing progress regarding those measures,' emphasised Ms Ramolobeng. The DCS also reported that it has had 29 unnatural deaths in its facilities out of an inmate population of 160 353. Ms Ramolobeng said the committee has on numerous occasions raised concerns about inconsistencies in reporting between the DCS and Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services on the number of unnatural deaths. 'Both parties need to sit down and come up with a way forward of how to address this reporting deficit. We want the DCS to submit a report to us following that sit-down meeting,' she said. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
News24
03-06-2025
- General
- News24
‘I have never lied'- Groenewald tells Parliament over 3 ‘vanished' juvenile offenders
Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald denied misleading Parliament about three juvenile offenders who disappeared from the prison system. He appeared before Parliament's Select Committee on Security and Justice to address concerns raised in a recent report. DA MP Nicholas Gotsell accused Groenewald of being misled by officials and attempting to shift blame to the provincial Department of Social Development. Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald has insisted he did not mislead Parliament about the whereabouts of three violent juvenile offenders who vanished from the prison system. Groenewald appeared before Parliament's Select Committee on Security and Justice on Tuesday morning, where the Department of Correctional Services briefed MPs on its response to the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS) 2023/24 Annual Report. However, under mounting pressure, Groenewald faced tough questions from MPs regarding the three juveniles who were meant to be transferred to Pollsmoor Prison in 2024 but were unaccounted for during a recent oversight visit. DA MP Nicholas Gotsell has been leading the charge for answers. 'We reject the statement by minister Groenewald, who continues to deny his department's role in the disappearance of three convicted criminals from custody. It is clear the minister is being misled by officials desperate to cover up a shocking administrative failure that endangered public safety,' he said. READ | Blame game erupts over 3 violent juvenile offenders who vanished from system Gotsell added that Groenewald's attempt to shift blame to the provincial Department of Social Development was disingenuous. 'That department has no role in custodial decisions, warrants, or the implementation of court orders. Those responsibilities fall squarely on Correctional Services and the courts, as clearly set out in the court order,' he said. During the briefing, Groenewald maintained that he had relied on information provided by departmental officials. 'I did say they are in Pollsmoor, and I said there that I am responding to the information I received from the officials. Yes, it appears they were not there, and I said I would investigate the matter. If this information was given to me, there would be consequences,' he said. Groenewald said he welcomed accountability and scrutiny. 'I am open to criticism. I encourage members to come forward with problems in our facilities. I see honourable members as the public's eyes and ears. I have never lied to Parliament. I never misled, and if people are going to use problems for a political agenda, then I won't play along. The minister added that both the Horizon Youth Centre and the Western Cape MEC for Social Development, Jaco Londt, should also be called to account. 'I want to reiterate that the Horizon Centre for the Youth is part of this situation. I am willing to appear here, and we also need to get the MEC here. We should not blame the shift because it's a problem between Horizon, the police, and the correctional services. 'We have a responsibility to protect communities. Of course, it's totally unacceptable that you have dangerous offenders who slip through the system,' he told the committee. Last week, News24 reported that three juvenile offenders - convicted of murder, rape, and robbery - had disappeared from the prison system. All three, who are turning 20 this year, committed their crimes while underage. The first was convicted of rape and was facing two additional assault charges. The second was convicted of murder, and the third of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances. READ | Thabo Bester's escape casts doubt on whether private prisons are superior, says Groenewald They had been detained at the Horizon Child and Youth Care Centre in Eerste River between 2021 and 2024, sentenced under the Child Justice Act. After turning 18, they were supposed to appear in court for formal transfer into adult correctional facilities - but this never happened. News24 understands that the circumstances of their release remain unclear. Two of the three have since been rearrested. In 2023, the trio attacked four staff members at the juvenile facility, stabbing and assaulting them. Following the incident, the Western Cape Department of Social Development refused to continue housing them, and they were to be transferred to Pollsmoor Prison in July 2024. However, during an oversight visit, Pollsmoor officials were unable to confirm their whereabouts. At the time, the provincial Department of Social Development said the offenders were detained at Pollsmoor in terms of an interim high court order, and the department had no further knowledge of their detention or its management. The department said the offenders have not been at Horizon since July last year. It further said the high court order remained active, even when the awaiting trial matter related to the three individuals concluded in the magistrate's court. This means they were to continue being detained at Pollsmoor due to the continued risk they posed to the children and staff at Horizon. The department communicated this to correctional services last month, explaining why it is important for individuals to continue being detained by correctional services as per the High Court order.
