Boost for parole boards
2011-04-12 15:04
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Prisons
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Cape Town - The National Council on
Correctional Services (NCCS) is to help train parole boards to ensure adherence
and compliance with the law, Correctional Services Minister Nosiviwe
Mapisa-Nqakula said on Tuesday.
Introducing debate in the National Assembly
on her budget vote, she said all the outstanding appointments for chairs and
deputy chairs of the parole boards had now been finalised.
"I have, however, been concerned about
the levels of inconsistencies between the different parole boards in their
interpretation of both law [and] policies and procedure governing the
consideration of offenders for placement on parole," she said.
She had also been concerned about the
resultant inconsistencies in decisions of the various boards to the extent that
offenders had developed a preference to be incarcerated in one centre over the
other on the basis of the high chances of being granted parole in such a
centre.
"In this regard we have agreed that the
NCCS will assist in the training of parole boards.
"Despite the work of the parole boards
being autonomous, we are looking at a credible mechanism that will ensure
adherence and compliance with the law and provide oversight for quality of the
decisions of parole boards," Mapisa-Nqakula said.
- SAPA
