National Festive Season Security Operations Campaign launched in Barberton

Defensive and counter-approach strategies have been put in place to deal with any security breach or threat in rehabilitation centres that might be triggered by the festive season fever. This is according to the national commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services, Makgothi Thobakgale, when he officially launched the National Festive Season Security Operations Campaign at the Barberton Management Area on Monday December 5.

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Thobakgale said this year’s festive season’s security operations are different from previous years’, as they have preventative safety measures that are underpinned by partnerships with communities and other law enforcement.

“We are involving the border management authority to help us strengthen our borderlines so that inmates who try to cross into other countries are brought back in. It is important that those who do not deserve to be with communities are taken back into correctional centres. Our relationship with the SAPS will also help in maintaining order in the communities, so that all law breakers are brought to book. We believe that it is our duty to protect the next victim of crime that could be harmed by an unrehabilitated offender, so we cannot afford to normalise escapes.”

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Thobakgale mentioned that security approaches this year will focus on aggressively monitoring parolees and probationers, as non-compliance with parole conditions will not be tolerated.
“More strict approaches are on the cards. Parolees will be closely monitored when they are back in the communities. We want them to contribute towards community growth rather than getting straight into criminal acts, which will see them back here in our centres, because that fails the trust some communities have extended to us.

“Our facilities will have more limitations on offender movement and more stringent measures will be deployed in terms of processing parcels as we strive for contraband-free centres. Increased inmate population and a large number of movement of people from different towns and countries are experienced during this period. Inmates often try to escape from centres and more contraband tends to be smuggled in rehabilitation centres, and that will be a thing of the past, as the security checking and the technology used is of great advancement,” he explained.

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Thobakgale said they had a security meeting to discuss methods to minimise inmate escapes.

“The meeting was focused on improving the security of rehabilitation centres in Mpumalanga, and we focused on four pillars. The first is necessary infrastructure to house the inmates. We did door and window fortifying. We also focused on the integrated security system driven by technology to keep guard at our centres, and retrain our security personnel to be equipped with necessary skills to manage situations or incidents.”

He said their aim is to have this campaign throughout the year.

“Our correctional services centres have to be safe, 365 days a year. We have to enforce this throughout the year, as trends show how it helps in decreasing crime.”