Jail security 'on up-and-up'
2006-05-23 22:38
Cape Town - Security in correctional centres has significantly improved on all fronts, with the minimum security standards policy approved and escapes reduced by 90.3% in the past 10 years, said Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour on Tuesday.
Escapes from prisons dropped from 1 244 in 1996 to 120 last year, Balfour said in the national assembly during debate on his budget vote.
"Centres registering a nil record of escapes also increased from 13 to 197 within the same period.
"My officials are telling me this is a record low number of escapes in more than 94 years," he said.
However, it was acknowledged that a lot more had to be done, as smuggling and collusion with prisoners continued, leading to unnecessary loss of live and injury.
Closed-circuit TVs
The human resources-focused intervention was but one of the pillars of an integrated security strategy aimed at closing gaps and preventing future incidents.
Another pillar of the strategy, physical security, made a leap with the introduction of the biometric access-control system, with turnstile gates and closed-circuit TVs in 36 centres of excellence and another 30 high-risk centres.
This had been completed and a programme for skills transfer was underway.
"As we speak, we are in the process of finalising the installation of security fences with motion detectors in these 66 centres," said Balfour.
- SAPA