ACDP says rehabilitation/job creation projects providing excellent service at no cost are being shut down

MEDIA RELEASE​

Cheryllyn Dudley, MP and Whip

31 May 2013

ACDP says rehabilitation/job creation projects providing excellent service at no cost are being shut down

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money wasted on new contracts rather than maintenance - must be scrutinised.

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providing food prepared and grown by offenders should be another invaluable skills development/job creation project and cost saving

"The ACDP is concerned that important services to prisons are being unnecessarily lost – services like those previously provided by Prison Broadcasting Network. PBN provided 15 years of daily services in radio, video and music production and broadcasting, as well as trauma and general counselling - services which provided offenders with, some of the most technologically advanced training and skills development in the country. TBN, the only organisation of its kind in the world, won two awards last year, for a TV commercial filmed by ex-offender students.

These services were shut down in July 2011, when the former Area Commissioner of Pollsmoor made what seemed to be a unilateral decision to do so without any prior warning."

"In August 2011 a unanimous decision was taken by the Quality Assurance Board of Pollsmoor to retain and expand TBN services and the former Minister of Correctional Services issued a statement which was broadcast on all National SABC news channels in February 2012 that TBN services would be reinstated and rolled-out to all prisons in the country – but the situation remained the same. TBN spent 2 years imploring the highest levels of Correctional Services and even the President to no avail."

"Two other major rehabilitation projects – “The Bird Project” and “Ambassadors in Sport” were also shut down in Pollsmoor by the same Area Commissioner - both highly successful projects which brought international acclaim to Correctional Services and had been running for years."

I will forward what information I have to your office Hon Minister.

"We cannot claim to be prioritizing the rehabilitation of offenders when individuals are allowed to shut down successful rehabilitation/job creation projects providing excellent service at no cost to the state!"

"Employing competent skilled people to better work with and facilitate the numerous NGOs who provide much needed services in prisons would be beneficial."

"Exorbitant amounts of money are being wasted on contracts for new fencing and equipment instead of enforcing certain criteria for installations within prisons and maintaining existing equipment. More money should go into maintenance and not purchasing - potential installation projects should include a minimum 5-year maintenance contract with an option which cannot be discontinued without valid reasons - irregularities that favour ‘new installation by new contractors’ rather than maintaining must be scrutinised."

"Hon Minister, why do you need Bosasa or anyone else to supply food to Correctional Services when there is more than enough human resources to cook the food required? This could and should be another invaluable skills development/job creation project as ex-offenders are far more likely to make a living from cooking than from flower-arranging or leather-making."

"Correctional Services should also be growing their own vegetables and producing their own meat. A farm employing ex-inmates would save huge amounts of money on the cost of produce; and provide countless jobs and skills."

The ACDP will support this budget but we are hoping for a radical new approach.."

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For further information contact:

Cheryllyn Dudley, MP and Whip

ACDP Parliament

082 890 65 20