A REPORT BY JUSTICE MTR MOGOENG Lichtenburg Correctional Centre and Rooigrond Correctional Centre The Rooigrond Management Area Introduction We were warmly received by Commissioner Barry Eksteen, who is responsible for the overall management of the Rooigrond Management Area during our visit to his area on 15 and 16 June 2010. This area covers Rooigrond, Mafikeng, Lichtenburg and Zeerust. He was accompanied by a number of senior correctional officials. Some of them were Mr Lord Medupe (Area Co-ordinator: Development and Care) and Mr Lewis Davids (Manager: Communications). The head of each centre and other senior managers were also in attendance. A representative of the Inspectorate was also with us throughout this period. We visited the Lichtenburg and the Rooigrond Correctional Centres on 16 and 6 June 2010 respectively and spent two days with the senior officials involved in the management of these centres while inspecting these centres. Since the two centres work closely and are under one area, a composite report is produced for the two centres in which we highlight the general problems and successes of the management area as a whole. The motto of the Rooigrond Management Area is that the centres are places of new beginnings. The management area also oversees community corrections which monitor probationers and parolees. The centres are all old and do not really cater adequately for the new unit management system for corrections. Commissioner Eksteen said that they have modern ideas, but old facilities. Lichtenburg Some of the challenges that this center is facing relate to staffing, access to medical facilities, skills transfer programmes and taking offenders to Court. (a) Taking Offenders to Court There is a serious problem of awaiting trail offenders who often have to be transported at great expense over a distance of 150km, only for the matters to be unexpectedly and repeatedly postponed upon arrival. (b) Offenders’ Personal Development Funding which is allocated for the skills development of inmates is held by the Department of Labour and it has not been distributed to the centres for projects that could transfer skills to offenders. (c) Access to Medical Facilities Although there is a hospital about 1km from the centre, the inmates do not have access to it. Instead, they have to be taken to a hospital in Mafikeng which is about 72 km away. 1 (d) Programmes Beneficial to Offenders The centre runs an impressive education programme as well as a very productive vegetable garden. Knowledge about agriculture is imparted and skills are transferred. Rooigrond Correctional Centre Rooigrond occupies a farm which is 1845 ha in extent. Apart from huge vegetable fields, which were under irrigation, we also visited a professionally run piggery and viewed some of the beautiful Bonsmara herds that the Centre has on the farm. Rooigrond has a somewhat strange history in that the trial of those members of the Bophuthatswana Defence Force who overthrew the Bophuthatswana government, albeit only for a few hours, was held there in a specially designed court. Many of those who were sentenced to death in Bophuthatswana were also hanged at Rooigrond. We visited the gallows which have since been filled up and then converted into a more useful facility. Otherwise there is an array of other programmes running, including: (a) Education and art (b) Carpentry (c) Bricklaying (d) Plumbing We were privileged to watch an interesting soccer game between inmates and a community team. This was as a result of collaborative efforts between members of the community (one of them is a journalist) and correctional officers who are determined to show inmates that they are loved and valued. A local newspaper “The Mail” covered our visit to Rooigrond very well. Rooigrond does not have serious staffing problems. Their kitchen was, however, affected by the fire that broke out a few days before our visit and it needs attention. The rest of the report generated by under my supervision follows below. Systemic issues The White Paper on Corrections lays out the new approach, however, it is difficult to implement without resources. Commissioner Eksteen also highlighted the difficulties associated with taking offenders to courts, which involves a risk for the offenders and the staff. The area does not have any trained psychological staff and a severe shortage of social workers. There is no nurse at Lichtenburg, and the nearest hospital is Bophelong Hospital in the neighbouring city of Mafikeng. When an offender is very ill the centre has to arrange to drive the offender through to the hospital every day. The re-staffing of vacant posts takes too long to happen. Many months pass between the posts becoming vacant and their being filled. 2 Staffing In the area there are 560 filled posts and 102 vacant posts. The vacancies include specialist posts such as the doctor, psychologist and pharmacist. There is no social worker in the area at present which affects the general wellbeing of the offenders as well as the preparation of their parole files which need to include a social worker’s report. Parole reports are currently being done by a lady at the Community Corrections office on an ad hoc basis. All 14 social workers in the region resigned en masse from Correctional Services and joined the Department of Social Development instead, because they offer them better salaries. The region also needs 5 medial support staff, 5 educationists, 78 custodian and support staff at salary levels 3-11, and an Area Co-ordinator of Social integration. Overcrowding Overcrowding in the centres has been greatly decreased and only three centres in the area are overcrowded, namely Rooigrond Med A, Mafikeng Correctional Centre and Lichtenburg Correctional Centre. Mr Eksteen attributes the decrease in overcrowding to greater use of community sentencing and correctional supervision. Centre Approved Current occupancy Percentage of accommodation figure occupancy Rooigrond Med A 772 949 122.93% Rooigrond Med B 266 221 83.08% Mafikeng Correctional 108 125 115.74% Centre Lichtenburg 291 329 113.06% Zeerust Correctional 161 157 97.52% Centre TOTALS for the 1598 1781 111.45% AREA There are no awaiting trial detainees in the area. There has only been one escape in recent years and it was from the Rooigrond Correctional Centre workspan who were working outside the centre. No escapes have been made from the centres themselves. The three meal system is fully operational in the area. Medical There is no monitoring of chronically medicated patients. They will only see a doctor if they are very sick and require attention. The area has failed to accredit any of its centres as ARV sites because of the unavailability of the following resources: • Medical doctor • Dietician • Pharmacist in the area • Psychologist 3 • HIV coordinator • Shortage of nurses • Vacancy of Manager of Health Services. Spiritual / Moral Care The centres in the area allow church services on Sundays and Mr Eksteen notes the commitment and dedication shown by external churches, officials and spiritual workers. Offenders can take part in group sessions in the form of programmes designed to promote well-being and moral regeneration. The most popular of these are the Inner Being Programme and Heartlines. Churches and spiritual workers will also meet with offenders individually. Social Work programmes have been hamstrung by the lack of social workers in the region. Education Offenders can enrol in schooling and participate in ABET levels 1-4 as well as Grade 12. In May 2010 there were 584 offenders in the region enrolled for ABET levels and 128 enrolled for Grade 12. Moreover, offenders are encouraged to study diplomas, junior degrees and certificates through UNISA or the local technicon. However, offenders must finance this themselves. There is a shortage of teachers in the region, and offenders often end up teaching one another. Sports, recreation, arts and culture The centres in the area promote the use of sports and encourage inter-centre sports games as well as games against teams from the community. However, there are no sports educators in the area. Cultural events take place usually on special occasions such as festival days. Rooigrond has an art room with an art teacher who is also a senior correctional officer. However, the availability of art is also dependant upon resources and staffing. Agricultural The centres in the area provide one another with agricultural goods, such as milk, home grown vegetables, red meat and pork. However, the numbers that the Area commissioner gave us, show that the centres do not always reach their targets. However, there are also times when they overproduce and struggle to use all of their produce. Lichtenburg Correctional Centre Introduction This unit was built in 1910 and a zinc section was added in 1964. It is obvious that the centre is in need of an upgrade. Apparently the Department of Public Works is in the planning and design stages for upgrading of both the Zeerust and Lichtenberg centres. The centre is a medium security centre. The unit is 13% overcrowded. There are no awaiting trial detainees in the Rooigrond management area as these detainees are kept at the police stations. We visited Blocks B and D and interviewed the offenders there (see attached list of concerns of the individual offenders). 4 Personnel Mr TJ Moeketsi – Head of Correctional Centre: Lichtenburg Mr JC Bester – Unit Manager Mr J Strydom – Head of Security Mr Julian Birkenstock – Independent Correctional Centre Visitor (formerly known as an Independent Prison Visitor) The appointment of staff happens at a national level. This is the reason why there are vacancies for extended periods. Lichtenberg currently has an approved staffing of 120 people, of whom 69 posts are financed and 11 posts are vacant. Facilities Lichtenburg had several newly built classrooms, however the schooling at the centre is handicapped by the shortage of trained educators.