The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has handed over 76 vehicles for use by its community corrections branch in its Mthatha management area to bolster monitoring of parolees and probationers.
The vehicles are part of the total of 518 that the department has procured and is distributing nationally to augment the existing fleet within DCS.
The handover of the vehicles was done on February 25 at the Mthatha Correctional Centre (Wellington Prison) and was overseen by DCS acting national commissioner, Samuel Thobakgale, and other senior departmental officials.
“The vehicles are meant for monitoring our parolees and probationers that have been released to be integrated into their communities and serve the rest of their sentence in their respective communities. The vehicles will help in ensuring that those released on parole and probation do not relapse and commit crime again,” said Thobakgale.
The Mthatha management area of DCS stretches from Elliotdale to Bizana with 13 community corrections centres and approximately 2 000 offenders released on parole or probation, who will be serviced by the new fleet of vehicles.
“The main function of community corrections within DCS is to ensure that offenders released on parole and correctional supervision are continuously monitored,” said DCS community corrections head in the Eastern Cape, Mthuthuzeli January.
“The monitoring function needs tools of the trade and these vehicles are a mechanism to ensure that our officials are able to monitor those released from our correctional centres and speedily respond to reports of those who commit crime after their release,” added January.
