A societal responsibility the role of civil society organisations in prisoner support, rehabilitation and reintegration Lukas Muntingh

This report was published with the support of the Royal Danish Embassy. It is the product of a joint research project of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative (CSPRI) at the Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape.

The notion of offender reintegration in South Africa society is conceptually challenging when considered against the background of widespread exclusion, marginalisation and inequality. Critics may rightly question the effort and cost expended for the benefit of prisoners and ex-prisoners while law abiding citizens do not enjoy basic socio-economic rights. Whether motivated by a broader constitutional obligation to promote dignity and self-worth or a more pragmatic approach aimed at limiting the harm that this group of persons could inflict, prisoners and ex-prisoners are hard to ignore when the objective is to create a safer society. There are a substantial but unconfirmed number of non-governmental organisations in South Africa working both inside and outside of prisons with prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families. These organisations provide services broadly aimed at promoting offender reintegration and reducing the chances of re-offending. There is a real and growing need for offender reintegration services given that approximately 6000 prisoners are released every month from South Africa's prisons and that an estimated 358 000 people circulate through the prison system annually (Judicial Inspectorate of Prisons 2005). It is in the immediate period after release that ex-prisoners face tremendous personal, economic and social challenges. The White Paper on Corrections in South Africa, released in March 2004, acknowledges the importance of offender reintegration and has consequently framed rehabilitation as the core business of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS). The White Paper also acknowledges that 'corrections is a societal responsibility' that civil society organisations have a critical role to play.