Improving conditions for child offenders in secure care

The national department of social development has made recommendations to make the living conditions of children in secure care centres, who are in conflict with the law, more bearable.

This is after the South African Human Rights Commission found that practices in the centres are not in line with the Children’s Act, which seeks to protect the rights of all children, including offenders of the law.

Provincial coordinators and secure centre managers met for two days and recommended that the facilities be made conducive for pregnant child offenders.

Gender sensitivity training

Another recommendation was that social workers be trained to deal with gender sensitivity in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning and asexual community.

The centres also need to be more technologically advanced so deaf children can watch the behavioural management programmes as there are no sign interpreters in some centres.

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Linda Makhathini, social work policy manager, said some interventions require funding from the National Treasury.

Need fencing to make sure children don’t escape

“We need fencing to ensure the children do not escape, that they are safe in the facility and there is no community retaliation for what they did in the community.”

Makhathini added there must be standardised behavioural management in all facilities to accommodate the emotional difficulties that children have.

Acting social worker manager Douglas Mavhunga said another issue is that children in the centres do vocational and skills training only.