Latest news with #BailFund
IOL News
5 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Bail Fund pilot project for prisoners to be launched in WC
The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services conducted visits to correctional facilities in South Africa after concerns were raised about overcrowding. The committee was also concerned that 2,613 detainees have been granted bail of less than R1,000 but cannot afford this amount. Image: File OVER 2600 detainees have been granted bail of less than R1000 but cannot afford this amount. They are regarded as prisoners of poverty. These were some of the findings when the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services conducted visits to correctional facilities in South Africa, following concerns about overcrowding. They found that some families do not want to pay bail for some juvenile offenders because of the mischief they would cause in the community, and they believe that they would be better off in detention centres awaiting trial. The committee was also reacting to the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS) progress report on the proposed Bail Fund for prisoners of poverty. On Tuesday, the JICS explained to the committee that the fund is a resource outside state institutions to advance bail monies for deserving remand detainees. Committee Chairperson Kgomotso Ramolobeng said that work still needs to be done, including an extensive public participation process to establish whether communities would be in favour of such a fund, which would allow offenders awaiting trial to be reintegrated into communities. The committee heard that a pilot project will soon be launched, likely in the Western Cape, to test the functioning of the fund. Remandees accused of certain crimes (gender-based violence, for example) will likely be excluded. The JICS held engagements with the Bertha Foundation, the Department of Correctional Services, the National Prosecuting Authority, and civil society to plan a way forward. The meeting resulted in support for the launch of a pilot project, an institutional base for the pilot project – Africa Criminal Justice Reform at the University of the Western Cape, and an unsolicited offer of philanthropic funding covering nearly half of the cost of the pilot. Ramolobeng said several committee members believed that communities feared accepting awaiting trial offenders back into communities due to the fear of re-offending. 'During recent oversight visits to correctional centres, we noted lots of awaiting trial detainees, including juveniles. They indicated families do not want to pay even these low amounts, believing that the youths cause mischief in their communities. Our impression was that if they were inside a detention centre, they were out of the family's hair,' she said. Ramolobeng said the committee will engage JICS and other stakeholders once it has sight of a more comprehensive plan. The committee found that correctional facilities are also releasing less offenders than what they are admitting due to the longer prison sentences imposed by the courts.
IOL News
6 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Concerns raised over proposed fund to help poor awaiting-trial prisoners
Portfolio Committee raises concerns over community readiness for proposed bail fund Image: File The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services has raised concerns about the potential implementation of a Bail Fund for South Africa. Introduced by the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS), the Bail Fund is designed to assist those awaiting trial who have been granted bail, yet face financial barriers preventing their release. Currently, 2,613 detainees or "prisoners of poverty" who have been approved for bail set at less than R1,000 but are unable to pay. Committee chairperson Kgomotso Anthea Ramolobeng, said broader public engagement was necessary before any further steps are taken. During the session on Tuesday, JICS revealed plans for a pilot project, likely to be launched in the Western Cape, aimed at assessing the operational viability of such a fund. However, it was indicated that individuals charged with certain serious crimes, such as gender-based violence, would be excluded from benefiting from the fund. The initiative intends to support only those defendants identified by the courts as non-threatening, who have a reliable home address, and pose no risk to public safety or state witnesses while out on bail. Ramolobeng acknowledged that while there is consensus on the need for the fund, committee members are wary of community sentiments towards reintegrating awaiting trial offenders, expressing that many community members harbour fears of re-offending. "During our recent oversight visits to correctional facilities, we observed numerous detainees, including juveniles, who had low bail amounts set. Upon inquiry, families often refused to pay even these small sums, believing that the youths stirred trouble in their communities," she explained. An essential aspect of the discussion was the plan for monitoring those released on bail. Concerns were raised about how re-offending would be tracked, as well as the implications should bail money be forfeited if families are unable to pay or if offenders violate their bail conditions. Ramolobeng noted that "the committee is keen to understand how JICS will ensure compliance and prevent further offences while released on bail." The committee encouraged JICS to continue collaborating with key partners, including the South African Police Service and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). Ramolobengsaid the committee will monitor this space and engage JICS and other stakeholders once it has sight of a more comprehensive plan. IOL
