Over 400 prisoners applied for parole
MORE than 430 prisoners in the Free State and Northern Cape region have applied for parole.
This is according to Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola in response to a question from DA MP James Selfe.
Lamola revealed that 3 119 applications were before parole boards across the country.
Kwazulu-natal has 232 applications, Free State and Northern Cape region 434, Gauteng 982, Eastern Cape 332 and Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West region 367.
Lamola said prisoners released on parole or after completion of their sentences were screened for the coronavirus infection.
He added that all presumptive and confirmed Covid-19 offenders who were due for parole or release are quarantined and isolated in the Department of Correctional Services and parole suspended until confirmed negative.
“Should the home environment allow for home quarantine or isolation (based on their individual health status), as determined by the social workers in community corrections, the offender may be paroled and linked with the district tracer teams.
“These offenders will be subjected to a pre-release programme which includes information about their health condition (eg self-care and prevention measures) and provided with a two months’ supply of medication.”
Meanwhile, it was also revealed that more than 3 000 prisoners have been quarantined in prisons across the country since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.
“The total number of inmates that have been placed in quarantine since Covid-19 was declared a national disaster is 3 644 from April 1 to May 16, 2020, and none of the inmates were quarantined outside the confines of the correctional service sites,” Lamola said.
The Department of Correctional Services has recorded 1 225 cases with 479 officials and 746 being prisoners infected as at Tuesday this week. There have been 438 recoveries and three officials and five prisoners have died.
In the Northern Cape and Free State region, three officials have tested positive and there have been no deaths reported. There have been two recoveries.
In his response, Lamola said awareness sessions on Covid-19 were being held by unit managers and health care professionals whereby the psychological or psycho-social protocol and guidelines were shared with the prisoners.
Asked about proactive arrangements to ensure that the warden to inmate ratio remains stable during Covid-19, the minister said the department has a plan in place whereby non-prisonbased officials, appointed in terms of the Correctional Service Act and the Public Service Act who have undergone basic training, would be transferred to centres where services were needed as a result of staff shortages due to Covid-19.
“The department has also entered into a memorandum of understanding with the South African National Defence Force whereby reserves will be used to augment the services rendered by correctional officials.”
He also said that former prison warders would be appointed to augment the imminent shortage.
DA MP Glynis Breytenbach also asked him about guidelines to prevent prisoners from being infected by staff members at its facilities and prisoners who may travel to and from court.
Lamola said prisoners guarding and escorting staff were provided with personal protective equipment and that there should be maintenance of social distancing of two meters where practically possible, including no overloading of vehicles.