The government should consider community service for those convicted of non-violent, petty crimes, because most people emerge from jail more damaged than before, Jody Kollapen, former chairperson of the Human Rights Commission, has said.
He was speaking at a public seminar on "Human Rights in African Prisons", at the Centre for the Book last night.
He acknowledged that most South Africans were angry about crime and did not want to be concerned with conditions in prison, but said that doing so was ultimately in everyone's best interests.
Kollapen, who chaired the seminar, said "we should be sending petty offenders to (work at ) hospitals and other organisations where there is a lack of staff and resources".
"These organisations can benefit from people who are doing volunteer work, while the taxpayers do not have to pay their board and lodging," he said.
"It is in our best interests as a society that people are rehabilitated."
Kollapen acknowledged the need for prisons, but said they should be reserved for those who were dangerous, those who raped and murdered, and who should spend the rest of their lives behind bars.
"Let's send people to prison who deserve to be in prison."
Dr Jeremy Sarkin, head of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in Cape Town, said one in every 700 people in the world was behind bars.
The world's prison population was more than nine million people.
Never before had there been so many problems in penal systems, or such large numbers of people behind bars.
Sarkin emphasised that African prisons were not the worst in the world. Conditions in Latin America, central and eastern Europe, and central Asia were far worse.
Although prisons in Africa were often considered the worst in the world, many other prison systems were more violent and overcrowded. But this did not mean that African prisons were human rights-friendly, Sarkin said.
"Many prisons are in a dilapidated condition and their practices are at odds with human rights standards," he said.
"Africa is home to 53 countries, roughly 3 000 prisons and approximately one million prisoners.
"Most prisons suffer from massive overcrowding, decaying infrastructure, a lack of medical care and hygiene, corruption and violence."
Gideon Morris, who is the director for the Judicial Inspectorate of Prisons, said South Africa should also reconsider legislation on minimum sentences.
He said 68 percent of the prison population in South Africa was serving more than five years.
"If you have more people coming into prison than those leaving, your prisons will continue to fill up until at the end of the day they overflow and there is total breakdown of the system.
"In the next few years we are going to have a serious overcrowding crisis."
- Cape Argus
He was speaking at a public seminar on "Human Rights in African Prisons", at the Centre for the Book last night.
He acknowledged that most South Africans were angry about crime and did not want to be concerned with conditions in prison, but said that doing so was ultimately in everyone's best interests.
Kollapen, who chaired the seminar, said "we should be sending petty offenders to (work at ) hospitals and other organisations where there is a lack of staff and resources".
"These organisations can benefit from people who are doing volunteer work, while the taxpayers do not have to pay their board and lodging," he said.
"It is in our best interests as a society that people are rehabilitated."
Kollapen acknowledged the need for prisons, but said they should be reserved for those who were dangerous, those who raped and murdered, and who should spend the rest of their lives behind bars.
"Let's send people to prison who deserve to be in prison."
Dr Jeremy Sarkin, head of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in Cape Town, said one in every 700 people in the world was behind bars.
The world's prison population was more than nine million people.
Never before had there been so many problems in penal systems, or such large numbers of people behind bars.
Sarkin emphasised that African prisons were not the worst in the world. Conditions in Latin America, central and eastern Europe, and central Asia were far worse.
Although prisons in Africa were often considered the worst in the world, many other prison systems were more violent and overcrowded. But this did not mean that African prisons were human rights-friendly, Sarkin said.
"Many prisons are in a dilapidated condition and their practices are at odds with human rights standards," he said.
"Africa is home to 53 countries, roughly 3 000 prisons and approximately one million prisoners.
"Most prisons suffer from massive overcrowding, decaying infrastructure, a lack of medical care and hygiene, corruption and violence."
Gideon Morris, who is the director for the Judicial Inspectorate of Prisons, said South Africa should also reconsider legislation on minimum sentences.
He said 68 percent of the prison population in South Africa was serving more than five years.
"If you have more people coming into prison than those leaving, your prisons will continue to fill up until at the end of the day they overflow and there is total breakdown of the system.
"In the next few years we are going to have a serious overcrowding crisis."
- Cape Argus
No comments:
Post a Comment