- A total of 126 of the 13 989 offenders released in the Covid-19 special parole dispensation committed crimes after their release.
- This includes six murders and four rapes.
- The Department of Correctional Services considers the special parole a success, "with lessons learnt".
Six murders and four rapes were committed by inmates released in the Covid-19 special parole dispensation.
The Department of Correctional Services briefed the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services on Wednesday on the special parole dispensation to deal with Covid-19.
Last year, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola announced that 19 000 inmates who committed non-violent crimes would be released to alleviate overcrowding in prisons during the pandemic.
His deputy, Phathekile Holomisa, told the committee that in the end, only 17 922 offenders qualified for the special parole. By the end of April, 13 989 offenders had been released.
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To date, 126 had been "re-admitted" after committing crimes, including six murders and four rapes.
"There are incidences of parolees committing serious offences after returning to their communities. There are some offenders, who, even after serving sentences of incarceration, repeatedly fail to desist from crime and reintegrate into the community as law-abiding citizens," Chief Deputy Commissioner of Community Corrections Anna Molepo said.
She said:
She said other issues included gang activity and offenders losing their support systems. She said they were working with offenders to ensure that their families were involved.
Nonetheless, the department considered the special parole a success, "with lessons learnt".
Molepo said that community correction created a conducive environment for the reintegration of parolees and probationers through supervision, monitoring and rehabilitation and ensured that parolees and probationers complied with the parole conditions.
The department ensured that probationers and parolees complied with their set conditions despite an increase in the caseload of probationers and parolees.
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