South Africa: Correctional Services Committee Raises Alarm Over R8 Million Legal Costs, Reviews Gang Management Strategy

press release

The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services received briefings from the Department of Correctional Services on litigation involving the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), inmate classification processes and the gang management strategy.

The committee made wide-ranging recommendations on court losses and rising legal costs, aimed at arresting the alarming rate of legal findings and costs against the department. One such recommendation advised the department and the State Attorney's Office to find administrative and legal strategies that could curb these losses. Other committee recommendations cannot be made public because some of the matters referred to in the briefing are either before the courts or their reviews are still pending, the committee Chairperson, Ms Kgomotso Ramolobeng said.

The committee was mostly concerned about the legal inefficiencies in the State Attorney's Office. Especially, its capacity constraints, which could be responsible for the alarming escalation of the department's losses in legal cases and the awarding of costs against them amounting to well over R8 million, which the state has had to settle on behalf of the department.

The committee has asked the State Attorney's Office and the DCS to write a report stating how they intend to deal with these matters and future cases, as a matter of urgency.

"The R8 million is too much of a financial burden to bear by the department in a climate of budget cuts and cost containment. That makes it difficult for it to fund competing service delivery priorities dogged by overcrowding and the challenges it brings to bear on its operational and administrative capacity," said the Chairperson.

The committee also received a briefing on the DCS's gang management strategy that seeks to deal with the proliferation of contraband and organised crime in correctional centres. The committee expressed its satisfaction with the department's strategy.

Read the original article on Parliament of South Africa.

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