In this research project the overcrowding problem in South African prisons will be analysed as well as the influence it had on the rehabilitation of offenders. The problem of overcrowding in South Africa's prisons is very clear when the approved accommodation of a prison is compared with the actual number of prisoners incarcerated. Prison sentences are a favoured form of punishment throughout the world. More and more people seek alternatives to incarceration in order to reduce prison overcrowding. The time to finalize criminal cases, releases on bail, the abolishment of minimum sentences and better utilization of community based sentences are some of the issues which can reduce overcrowding. One of the concepts that was implemented to establish rehabilitation within prisons was Unit Management. The number of prisoners incarcerated makes it difficult for Unit Management to be effective. In some cases prisoners are kept under inhumane conditions which is a violation of the Constitution of South Africa. Currently the morale of members of Correctional Services is very low and this has an influence on the way in which they treat prisoners. These members are supposed to be an example to prisoners but instead their bad behaviour has a negative influence on prisoner's discipline. Correctional Services goal is to make every member a rehabilitator but overcrowding will first have to be reduced. Individual attention to prisoners is one of the building blocks of Unit Management but overcrowding of prisons creates a member/prisoner ratio which is far too high to be effective with rehabilitating prisoners. Community based sentences can also be utilized more frequently by the courts. It can better rehabilitation possibilities and through this the objectives of punishment are met. In the past the focus of South African Law was on the criminal. With the Correctional Services Act (Act 111/1998) this focus was shifted to the victim as well. Both these parties can now come together and discuss the offence as well as the influence it had on the victim. This is called restorative justice and it helps the offender with re-integration into the community. / Criminology and Security Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Penology)

The World Prison Brief Walmsley (2001:2) reveals that there are 8,7 million people held in penal institutions throughout the world, either as pre-trial detainees or having been convicted and sentenced. Although the rising prison population in South Africa is of great concern, it is certainly not just a South African problem, but an international phenomenon. Prison overcrowding and the resultant financial and human rights problems related to this phenomenon, remain one of the paramount concerns of both developed and developing countries. Overcrowding of prisons negates the rehabilitation of offenders, undermines human dignity in correctional facilities and renders the safety and security of offenders and the community vulnerable. Another problem facing the Department of Correctional Services is the control of communicable diseases and viruses, particularly HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis. The problem of overcrowding facilitates the easy spread of communicable diseases among inmates. Imprisonment as a sanction remains a reality. Providing alternatives to imprisonment, for example, community based-sanctions, does however ensure that a significant number of offenders can be dealt with in a more balanced manner. Alternative sanctions to incarceration can be more successful, less costly to the state, have fewer negative implications and will lighten the load for the criminal justice system, hence reducing overcrowding. In order to reduce the overcrowding in prisons there has to be a reduction in the number of both awaiting-trial and sentenced prisoners. Reducing the inflow of offenders from the courts to the prisons and trying to get minor offenders in prison to be released should accomplish this. Courts and magistrates must break away from centuries of reliance on imprisonment as punishment. If more people show interest in the human rights of incarcerated prisoners, then further effort will be placed on resolving the overpopulation problem facing the Department of Correctional Services. / Criminology / (D. Litt et Phil.(Penology))

Incarceration of offenders has been relied upon as the dominant sentence option through the years to address the objectives of punishment. Research has shown that the above-mentioned approach does not match the current lifestyle anymore. Correctional centres (prisons) not only in South Africa, but across the board are faced with the same challenge. This is of course not a problem of the Department of Correctional Services alone, but that of the entire justice system. It is therefore obligatory for Justice to join hands with society in accordance with the White Paper on Corrections in South Africa (2005:63-68). Playing a major role in all above-mentioned bodies is Parliament, without which the whole justice system would not exist, let alone functioning. The victims of crime would most probably not condone any soft approach towards treating offenders, worse with alleviating overpopulation by releasing inmates from correctional centres. It is the researcher's submission that the effects of overpopulation coupled with inmate's human rights, as entrenched in the Constitution becomes the major driving force to address overcrowding in our correctional centres. / Penelogy / (M.A. (Penelogy))

The history of the criminal justice system in South Africa, in the last decade is a history dominated by the desire for change and transformation. It will be remembered that we are talking of a system which, in the past, formed part of the State apparatus of a minority government which included racist elements and highly restrictive legal regime in dealing with communities, crime and criminals. The criminal justice system is constituted by four core departments, namely: the South African Police Services; Department of Justice, Correctional Services and Welfare. The argument is whether the volunteers from the community should be involved at all in the fight against crime or not. Some people feel that a system· of justice should be controlled by professionals, who are accountable for their decisions, namely: the Police, Justice, and Correctional Services. However, the research revealed that a system which excludes the community from participating, will render itself ineffective and open to abuse. This topic should be further researched within each department in the criminal justice system in order to explore possibilities of attracting volunteers in the transformation of their respective departments. / Penology / D.Litt. et Phil. (Penology)

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / This research project was undertaken to establish what influence the lack of discipline amongst prisoners and members of Correctional Services has on the rehabilitation of offenders. A complete literature study was done to investigate the current lack of discipline amongst prisoners and members. Discipline is also brought into relationship with community based sentences such as Correctional Supervision as well as the involvement of the community in the release of prisoners. Positive rehabilitation can lead to crime prevention but the Department of Correctional Services and the community will have to take hands to reach this common goal. This subject needs further research in order to make recommendations to promote rehabilitation of off enders and to uplift the standard of discipline within the Department of Correctional Services. / Hierdie ondersoek is onderneem om die invloed van gevangenes en personeeldissipline binne die Departement Korrektiewe Dienste in verband te bring met die invloed wat dit het op die rehabilitasie van oortreders. 'n Volledige literatuurstudie is gedoen om die huidige tendens van swak dissipline onder gevangenes sowel as lede te ondersoek. Die dissipline word ook in verband gebring met gemeenskapgebaseerde vonnisse soos byvoorbeeld Korrektiewe toesig sowel as die betrokkenheid van die gemeenskap by die vrylating van oortreders. Positiewe rehabilitasie kan lei tot misdaadvoorkoming, maar dan sal die Departement Korrektiewe Dienste en die gemeenskap moet hande vat om hierdie gemeenskaplike doel te bereik. Verdere navorsing in die verband word beoog om sodoende werkbare aanbevelings te kan doen ten opsigte van beter dissipline onder gevangenes en personeel van die Departement Korrektiewe Dienste. / Penology / M.A. (Penology)

Corrections has always been conventionally known as an occupational discipline and not a profession. The organization of corrections has been spoken of as a penitentiary, bearing in mind that the models of the buildings were meant for punishment; with correctional officers recognized as guards. The role of the guards was that of the keeper of the keys and their duty was mainly custodial in nature. The occupation was mainly attractive to white males with a record of unemployment and not much education. The occupation was stable, and did not require for any extra skill. Certain researchers believe that the selection methods for prison warders were extremely relaxed with a small amount of empirical validity. There was also thinking that a correctional officer needed a 20/20 vision and an IQ of an imbecile. Conversely, it has been perceived that a correctional officer can be the most significant individual in the offender’s life, having an influence in refining or declining the success of the different treatment programs that an offender undergoes (Josi & Sechrest, 1998, p. 3). Corrections is a human service occupation. Therefore, human service workers need to have knowledge of human behaviour and be able to assess their perspectives on any behaviour wisely and thus formulate reliable estimations. This will give them the opportunity to enjoy suitable decision making powers and formulate a trend on professional behaviour. Their knowledge of human behaviour will also strengthen the capability to foresee behaviour and give special knowledge to prevent any hesitancy(Williamson, 1990, p. 43). The role of the correctional officers (security staff) has intensely changed over the past few decades.The correctional officer is in today's corrections, expected to balance security and still be responsible for changing the behaviour of offenders constructively (Josi & Sechrest, 1998, p. 11). In order to have a comprehensive understanding of the distinctive and contradictory role of the correctional officer, it is very important to appreciate the changes that have transpired in penal philosophy all through the centuries. Throughout the research, the researcher will make an effort to capture the heritage of corrections and the evolving systems of punishment of Europe, the United States of America and South Africa and look at the applications of the rehabilitation concept and how the Correctional Officer has been utilised as a skilled and knowledgeable professional in the whole process. The aim of the research being to determine the effect that correctional and professional officers have on rehabilitation of offenders and determine the process by which the Correctional environment can be transformed to a true profession of highest integrity and competence. Objectives for the study will be: • To analyse the history and development of Corrections internationally and its philosophical background • To examine the impact of the history of rehabilitation in the South African Corrections system, from the development of the first prisons in 1652 to the demilitarisation of prisons system in the 1990s, right through to the actualisation of the South African White Paper on Corrections, 2005 • To critically examine the professional status of the Corrections occupation against other existing professions. The issues on education, training, credentialing, autonomy, code of ethics and special expertise are some of the aspects that will be looked at as the primary criterion for professions • To explain the conception of rehabilitation and its development and application both internationally and nationally • To critically look at the importance of Corrections system while highlighting the mandated role of the Correctional officer and the duality of the role of balancing security and rehabilitation. The study will contribute on the basis of knowledge in particular regard to Education and Training of Correctional Officers. A model will be developed for South African Correctional Services Systems and predominant focus will be on the performance and education and training of Correctional Officers in South Africa. / Penology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Penology)

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Crime in South Africa is a common occurrence and crimes committed by young people are rapidly becoming a serious problem. During the 19th and zo" centuries, young offenders were institutionalised in reform schools for example. However, social workers and probation officers realized that the confinement in these schools caused frustration amongst the young offenders and also encouraged further deviant behaviour. In South Africa, the Department of Correctional Services implemented community corrections, on 1 June 1993, as an alternative sentence option to imprisonment. Community corrections have two distinctive forms, namely correctional supervision and parole supervision. Correctional supervision is a community-based sentence, which is prescribed by the courts and is served within the community under strict supervision and control of correctional officials and probation officers. The Department of Correctional Services mainly implemented correctional supervision in order to divert young offenders away from being exposed to the harsh and severe life of incarceration. The goal of the study was to explore correctional supervision as an alternative sentence option and present a description of this sentence for the juvenile delinquents. The objectives were to explore the juvenile offender's perception of correctional supervision, the impact of this sentence on the offender's family members and the availability and the role that the probation officers play during the juvenile's sentence to correctional supervision. The contents of the report focused on describing the phenomenon of juvenile delinquency and other related topics, such as theories and contributing factors, and correctional supervision as an alternative sentence option. Exploratory-descriptive research was done and questionnaires were utilized as instruments for data collection from the juvenile offenders, their family members and the probation officers. The juvenile offenders were part of the Department of Correctional Services' (Worcester) justice system and the probation officers are employed at the Department. Conclusions and recommendations are made regarding the respondents' perceptions, opinions and experiences of the sentence of correctional supervision. The proposed recommendations should be a guide for the Department of Correctional Services in order to change certain factors that contribute to the poor co-operation of juvenile offenders sentenced to correctional supervision. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Misdaad in Suid-Afrika is 'n bekende verskynsel en misdaad gepleeg deur jong mense is vinnig besig om 'n ernstige probleem te word. Gedurende die neëntiende en twintigste eeu, is jeugoortreders na inrigtings, soos byvoorbeeld verbeteringskole, gestuur. Maatskaplike werkers en proefbeamptes het egter besef dat die afsondering in hierdie skole, frustrasies veroorsaak en self verdere afwykende gedrag aanmoedig. In Suid-Afrika, het die Departement van Korrektiewe Dienste Gemeenskapskorreksies op 1 Junie 1993, as 'n alternatiewe vonnisopsie tot gevangenisstraf, geïmplementeer. Gemeenskapskorreksies het twee onderskeidende vorme, naamlik korrektiewe toesig en parooltoesig. Korrektiewe toesig is 'n gemeenskapsgebaseerde vonnis, voorgeskryf deur die howe, en word uitgedien in die gemeenskap onder streng supervisie en beheer deur korrektiewe amptenare en proefbeamptes. Die Departement van Korrektiewe Dienste het korrektiewe toesig hoofsaaklik geïmplementeer om jong mense weg te wys van die onaangename blootsteling aan die gevangenislewe. Die doel van die studie was om korrektiewe toesig, as 'n alternatiewe vonissopsie te verken en 'n beskrywing van hierdie vonnisopsie vir die jeugoortreder te gee. Die doelwitte was om die jeugoortreder se persepsie van korrektiewe toesig, die impak van dié vonnis op die oortreder se gesinslede en die beskikbaarheid en rol van die proefbeampte tydens 'n jeugdige se straf tot korrektiewe toesig, te verken. Die inhoud van die verslag fokus op die beskrywing van die verskynsel van jeugdelikwensie asook verbandhoudende onderwerpe, soos teorieë en bydraende faktore, en korrektiewe toesig as 'n alternatiewe vonnisopsie. 'n Verkennende-beskrywende studie is gedoen met behulp van vraelyste, as 'n instrument van data insameling by die jeugoortreders, hul gesinslede en die proefbeamptes. Die jeugoortreders was deel van die Departement van Korrektiewe Dienste (Worcester) se regstelsel en die proefbeamptes is werksaam by die Departement.

Incarceration of offenders has been relied upon as the dominant sentence option through the years to address the objectives of punishment. Research has shown that the above-mentioned approach does not match the current lifestyle anymore. Correctional centres (prisons) not only in South Africa, but across the board are faced with the same challenge. This is of course not a problem of the Department of Correctional Services alone, but that of the entire justice system. It is therefore obligatory for Justice to join hands with society in accordance with the White Paper on Corrections in South Africa (2005:63-68). Playing a major role in all above-mentioned bodies is Parliament, without which the whole justice system would not exist, let alone functioning. The victims of crime would most probably not condone any soft approach towards treating offenders, worse with alleviating overpopulation by releasing inmates from correctional centres. It is the researcher's submission that the effects of overpopulation coupled with inmate's human rights, as entrenched in the Constitution becomes the major driving force to address overcrowding in our correctional centres. / Penelogy / (M.A. (Penelogy))

The World Prison Brief Walmsley (2001:2) reveals that there are 8,7 million people held in penal institutions throughout the world, either as pre-trial detainees or having been convicted and sentenced. Although the rising prison population in South Africa is of great concern, it is certainly not just a South African problem, but an international phenomenon. Prison overcrowding and the resultant financial and human rights problems related to this phenomenon, remain one of the paramount concerns of both developed and developing countries. Overcrowding of prisons negates the rehabilitation of offenders, undermines human dignity in correctional facilities and renders the safety and security of offenders and the community vulnerable. Another problem facing the Department of Correctional Services is the control of communicable diseases and viruses, particularly HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis. The problem of overcrowding facilitates the easy spread of communicable diseases among inmates. Imprisonment as a sanction remains a reality. Providing alternatives to imprisonment, for example, community based-sanctions, does however ensure that a significant number of offenders can be dealt with in a more balanced manner. Alternative sanctions to incarceration can be more successful, less costly to the state, have fewer negative implications and will lighten the load for the criminal justice system, hence reducing overcrowding. In order to reduce the overcrowding in prisons there has to be a reduction in the number of both awaiting-trial and sentenced prisoners. Reducing the inflow of offenders from the courts to the prisons and trying to get minor offenders in prison to be released should accomplish this. Courts and magistrates must break away from centuries of reliance on imprisonment as punishment. If more people show interest in the human rights of incarcerated prisoners, then further effort will be placed on resolving the overpopulation problem facing the Department of Correctional Services. / Criminology and Security Science / (D. Litt et Phil.(Penology))

The history of the criminal justice system in South Africa, in the last decade is a history dominated by the desire for change and transformation. It will be remembered that we are talking of a system which, in the past, formed part of the State apparatus of a minority government which included racist elements and highly restrictive legal regime in dealing with communities, crime and criminals. The criminal justice system is constituted by four core departments, namely: the South African Police Services; Department of Justice, Correctional Services and Welfare. The argument is whether the volunteers from the community should be involved at all in the fight against crime or not. Some people feel that a system· of justice should be controlled by professionals, who are accountable for their decisions, namely: the Police, Justice, and Correctional Services. However, the research revealed that a system which excludes the community from participating, will render itself ineffective and open to abuse. This topic should be further researched within each department in the criminal justice system in order to explore possibilities of attracting volunteers in the transformation of their respective departments. / Penology / D.Litt. et Phil. (Penology)