DCS plans to improve monitoring of parolees

GEORGE NEWS - Parolees relapsing into the life of crime have put into question the effectiveness of the monitoring and supervising system currently in place.

According to the national spokesperson for the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), Singabakho Nxumalo, this has led to a recent call for scrapping the parole system in the country.

It is for this reason that the DCS hosted a community corrections engagement session at Eden Place Church from Tuesday 1 March to today, 3 March.

The session brought together different stakeholders to dissect the system of monitoring and supervising offenders (parolees) who serve their sentences in the community.

One of the items on the agenda was doing an analysis of the gaps in the system of community corrections, tracing absconders, the relevance of offender rehabilitation path, restorative justice processes, and pursuing interventions that will bring about normalcy.

The keynote address on Monday morning was delivered by Acting DCS National Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale. The head of the criminology department at the University of Fort Hare, Dr. To Magadze, members of local government, the Department of Social Development, Magistrate Zukisa Hans, and attendees from DCS and local police, were then put into focus groups to discuss challenges facing them and possible solutions.

Addressing attendees, Thobakgale said one case of a parolee reoffending is one case too many.

"Only when we get real we will be able to come up with solutions. We need to be frank and brutal in our analysis and orientate, manage and supervise our young staff members. If the fundamentals have not been met, we are facing a big problem," he said.

Attendees at the function on Monday morning.

Head of the criminology department at the University of Fort Hare, Dr To Magadze.

Acting Regional Commissioner Delekile Klaas.

Acting National Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale (right) during his keynote address with acting Regional Commissioner Delekile Klaas listening attentively.