'Scrap crime records'

2005-10-07 08:11

Carien du Plessis

Cape Town - The criminal records of former prisoners should be scrapped to allow them to be re-integrated into the community more readily, deputy minister of correctional services, Cheryl Gillwald, said.

Gillwald said there was a "strong case" to scrap the crime record of young offenders under the age of 30 in particular so that they are not stigmatised when they try to find work, for example, after being released from prison.

She was taking part in a seminar on Thursday that dealt with reconstructive justice and prison reform. The seminar was organised by the Centre for Conflict Resolution (SCR).

Peter Gastrow, Cape director of the Institute for Security Studies, said if Gillwald was trying to stimulate public debate through her statement, it was in order.

However, if this was a policy statement, it was "extreme", particular if no more details were given.

"The broader community would agree to the scrapping of records in certain categories of previous convictions, but there are others, like murder and rape, where the community will want the records to stand," he said.

He said one of the motivations for sentencing was the deterrent factor.

"Knowing that one's previous convictions will stay on one's record is a particular deterrent for young people. It will be unacceptable if that component is removed from a sentence."

He said in a country like South Africa, where crime figures are very high, this debate should be worked through thoroughly.

Magadien Wentzel, who spent 25 years in prison and now works as a facilitator for Khulisa - an organisation that assists prisoners in re-integrating into communities - welcomed Gillwald's statement but with some reservations.

"It is one of the best suggestions the department has ever had, but there should be criteria for scrapping a criminal record," he said.

Reconstructive justice programme

Wentzel said an ex-prisoner should first take part in a reconstructive justice programme and be trained so that he or she has skills.

The project manager of the prison reform programme at the SCR, Stan Henkeman, said Gillwald raised the point to encourage debate around it.

"It is the type of comment that can stir up many emotions. When someone like a deputy minister makes such as statement, she puts it on the table for discussion," he said.

Government drew up a white paper last year that spells out a reformation programme for the department of correctional services. Reconstructive justice and the rehabilitation of offenders are some of the cornerstones of the white paper.

The rehabilitation of prisoners came under the spotlight recently when a man from Athlone was charged with raping a three-year-old girl barely a month after he was released from prison under government's special amnesty for prisoners.

Authorities admit that the rehabilitation of prisoners is not being done properly and that there are not enough supervising officials in the community to support former prisoners.

- Die Burger