Women in the public sector
productive members of society
Department of Correctional Services Regional Commissioner in Gauteng Grace Molatedi on how the department’s rehabilitation programme is transforming offenders
Grace Molatedi believes in second chances. As Regional Commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services in Gauteng she is responsible for the rehabilitation of more than 36 000 offenders and has witnessed first-hand how people can turn their lives around when they are given the opportunity to do so.
While acknowledging that her job is challenging - rehabilitating an offender is no easy task - Molatedi told PSM her work is extremely rewarding particularly when she sees a person change for the better.
“This sector has a good story to tell.You will see an offender who has been sentenced to many years behind bars going through the various programmes the department offers and improving their lives – this is where the satisfaction lies. It doesn’t matter if it’s one person; when you see the results you feel good.There are a lot of success stories in Correctional Services,” she said.
As the Regional Commissioner,
Molatedi’s role is to give guidance and leadership to the region’s 26 correctional centres.
She also provides support to the approximately
8 000 officials employed in the Gauteng region whose mandate is to create an enabling environment for the rehabilitation of offenders.
Sentence plan a road map
Molatedi explained that when an offender enters Correctional Services the individual goes through a process of admission which includes being interviewed by social workers and psychologists.Then a sentence plan is drawn up.
“This sentence plan maps out the road that must be travelled by an offender in a correctional centre. It also maps out the needs of an offender,” she said.
It is during this phase that the offender identifies the skill they would like to develop and the training it
requires.
An educator, nurse, social worker and psychologist assesses the person, looking at all their areas of need when the sentence plan is drawn up.
“We also do a classification where we consider the type of crime the offender has committed, if this is a first offence or not and then we put them in a facility aligned with their areas of need,” said Molatedi.
An important step in the process is making sure that the offender understands the seriousness of the crime they committed.
“We take them through programmes with social workers which include anger management courses and sexual offenders’ programmes. During these they are able to make decisions, understand why they are in a correctional centre and plan the way forward.
“Social workers also interact with an offender’s family to assess the kind of support system they have at home.
“We help family members understand and accept that they have a loved one who is an offender. Some families are embarrassed to have a family member in a correctional centre. We help family members deal with these emotions and get to a place where they can forgive the offender,” she said.
When an offender nears the completion of their sentence they are given weekend passes which allow them to go to their family and community over the weekend.
“This is done six months before they are released and gives them an opportunity to experience all the changes that took place while they were behind bars. Sometimes during a weekend pass they realise that there is no space for them at home or there is no food. We are preparing them for reality and to find ways within the law to make a living,” she said.
Skills development for offenders
A key focus in rehabilitating an offender is skills development so that once released they can start their own business or find a job linked to the skill they learnt while at the correctional centre.
“We try to focus on skills that can enable them to find a job such as plumbing, electrical work, computer training, computer programming, building and bricklaying. Offenders are trained by our officials and we also have service providers,” she added.
The department signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority to provide training to offenders.
There is also an MOU signed between Technical and Vocational Education and Training colleges to provide training.
Molatedi said the department is aware that unemployment is one of the root causes of crime and is seeking to address this by empowering offenders with work skills.
Communities have a role to play
According to Molatedi, communities should be supportive of people who have been released from a correctional centre.
“If a person is not accepted in the community they become an outcast.They struggle to find a job and it becomes easier for them to return to their former ways. Everybody deserves a second chance,” she pointed out.
Ordinary South Africans can also become involved in the rehabilitation of offenders by volunteering their skills to the department.
“We have people in this country who are skilled in various areas and in their spare time they could come and do training and volunteer at one of our correctional centres to train offenders. Even if someone is a good soccer player they can come train the offenders over the weekend as a recreational
activity. South Africans can approach a correctional centre to offer their services,” said Molatedi.
While Correctional Services focus is on rehabilitating offenders, they are also involved in crime prevention programmes along with the Department of Basic Education which focus on schools.
“The school children are taken to correctional centres so they can see first-hand what life is like there. Sometimes being in a correctional centre is glamorised while the reality is quite different.The aim is to raise awareness about life in a correctional centre with the hope of deterring young people from a life of crime,” she said.
Any school can approach the Department of Correctional Services to request a visit to a correctional centre.
Challenges of the job
Molatedi said being a woman in her field is challenging and she has to work twice as hard as her male counterparts.
“As women we need to be prepared to put in the hard work, especially when the environment isn’t receptive to women. People doubt your abilities just because you are a woman without even knowing your capabilities.You need to always be on your toes and lead by example,” she added.
Despite the challenges, Molatedi loves her job and the organisation she works for, saying it has given her an opportunity to grow.
“Once you have worked in this organisation, you can work anywhere. Correctional Services moulds you and helps you grow. We also have a lot of good people in Correctional Services who are committed to their work,” she said.