16 Sep 2005: Pretoria: Conference on Strategies to Address Prison Overcrowding in South Africa, 14-16 September 2005

CONFERENCE– STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS PRISON OVERCROWDING IN SOUTH AFRICA
14-16 September 2005
Pretoria Country Club, Pretoria

 

Introduction

 

Prison overcrowding in South Africa is a national crisis. The situation needs to be addressed urgently in order to promote a long term and sustainable national response to crime and its associated problems. In addition, current prison conditions result in unacceptable infringements of prisoners’ human rights and freedoms.

 

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, together with a working committee consisting of other National Ministries, NICRO, Justice College, and several government and civil society role-players, hosted a national conference on prison overcrowding in Pretoria from the 14th to the 16th of September. The aim of the conference was to define and stimulate a national initiative to reduce both criminal behaviour and the overcrowding of prisons by pooling resources, avoiding duplication of services, networking and creating a national register of available services, resources and initiatives.

 

Speakers included international prison experts, judges, traditional leaders, government officials, and civil society practitioners and researchers.

Conference Documentation

 

Conference Report, Eberhard Bertelsmann, Judge of the High Court, 17 January 2006 (PDF 61kb)

 

Conference Objectives and Outputs (PDF 13kb)

 

Conference Programme (PDF 46kb)

 

Compendium of Speeches and Discussions - Day 1, 14 September 2005 (PDF 334kb)

 

Compendium of Speeches and Discussions - Day 2, 15 September 2005 (PDF 244kb)

 

Compendium of Speeches and Discussions - Day 3, 16 September 2005 (PDF 86kb)

 

Address by Dr Khotso de Wee, Acting Director-General, DJCD (PDF 35kb)

 

Address by Adv PA du Rand, Chief Director Court Services, DJCD (PDF 54kb)

 

Address by Magistrate Antoine Bloemen, Australia (PDF 34kb)

 

Presentation by Anton du Plessis, ISS: `A Snapshot of Crime in South Africa, 1994-2004`

 

Address by Justice Johann Kriegler: `Talking and Doing: Conferences and Solutions` (PDF 16kb)

 

Address by Inkosi Mpiyezintombi Mzimela, Chair of the NHTL: `The Role of Traditional Leadership on Dealing with Crime` (PDF 54kb)

 

Address by Jeffrey Gar: `Sentencing - Let`s Get to the Heart of the Matter` (PDF 19kb) and Presentation: `Empowering People to Change the World`

 

Address by Prof Dirk van Zyl Smit: ` A New Sentencing Framework` (PDF 29kb)

 

Presentation Notes by Justice Hannes Fagan: `The Nature and Extent of Prison Overcrowding in South Africa` (PDF 26kb)

 

Paper by Dr Kholisani Solo, Univ Botswana: A Traditional Response to Overcrowded Prisons - The Case of Customary Courts (PDF 26kb)

 

Presentation by Lukas Muntingh, CSPRI: `Describing Prison Overcrowding`

 

Presentation by Mike Batley, Executive Director, Restorative Justice Centre: `The Role of Civil Society` / Addess by Mike Batley (PDF 46kb)

 

Presentation by Jenny Schreiner, DCS: `Correcting Offending Behaviour, Overcrowding and Corrections as a Societal Resposibility`

 

Presentation by Sibusiso Masuku, Office of the Presidency: `Factors Facilitating Crime`

 

Presentation by CSPRI: `Alternative Sentencing Review`

 

Presentation by Yashina Pillay, NICRO: `The Mpumalanga Model`

 

Presentation by Cheryl Frank, ISS: `Social Crime Prevention: A Review of Practice`

 

Presentation by Janine Rauch, Research Consultant: `Crime Prevention in South Africa: A Review of Policy and Practice Since 1994`

 

Chapter by Janine Rauch: Changing Step: Crime Prevention Policy in South Africa (PDF 87kb) - Published in Crime Prevention Partnerships. Lessons from Practice, ISS

 

Round TableDiscussion Notes: Restorative Justice, Offender Reintegration and Sustainability of Programmes in Relation to Prison Overcrowding (PDF 50kb)

 

Round Table Discussion Notes: Civil Society vs Government Role in Reducing Prison Overcrowding (PDF 32kb)

 

Round Table Discussion Notes: The Role of Faith Based OrganiSations in Relation to Crime Prevention and Prison Overcrowding (PDF 17kb)

 

Consolidated Recommendations: Round Table Discussions on the Role of Civil Society, Faith Based Organisations and Restorative Justice in Relation to Crime Prevention and Prison Overcrowding (PDF 32kb)