NICRO launches Alternative Sentencing Project at Colloquium in Cape Town

NICRO CEO Sorarya Solomon with guest-of-honour and VIP guest speaker from London Rob Allen, Director International Centre for Prison Studies at the Colloquium.

In February the National Institute for Crime Prevention and the Rehabilitation of Offenders launched the implementation of a five year alternative sentencing project for adult and child offenders to be delivered at magistrate courts across South Africa.

In an era where crime statistics remain in the red and crime incidence has escalated to unacceptable ratios, it has become crucial to find an alternative modus operandi for sentencing procedures. NICRO is putting affirmative, pro-active services in place that will streamline the criminal justice system by embarking on the roll out of alternative sentencing programmes on a national scale over a period of five years. This is a concerted effort to alleviate the severe backlog in the criminal justice system and curb the phenomenon of unacceptable overcrowding of correctional centres.

The Alternative Sentencing Colloquium saw stakeholders including magistrates, prosecutors and probation officers from all nine provinces converge on Cape Town where a Memorandum of Understanding, setting out roles and responsibilities, between NICRO and all role players was drafted and signed. The main aim of the seminar was to canvas the idea of and obtain support for the wider implementation of alternative sentencing options.

This initiative was started in 2006 with a small project encompassing five courts, which was continued in 2008 in partnership with the Department of Justice, expanding to a further five courts. Due to the need and increased demand for this service from other courts, NICRO has acquired further funding and is now positioned to roll out our initial programme to 18 more magisterial courts. (2 per province) The main thrust of the project is to support the courts through a wide range of therapeutic programme interventions which can be used as non-custodial sentencing options.

The outcome of the colloquium was extremely positive. All stakeholders pledged their support in establishing a professional service to support alternative sentencing. The following steps will be implemented to secure the appropriate impact:

• Inter-disciplinary steering committees will be established at eighteen magisterial courts throughout the country, with the goal of overseeing the roll-out of the project, developing procedures, monitoring outcomes and evaluating the impact of the project

• NICRO will appoint social workers to be based at the identified magistrate courts.
• The probation services and NICRO will work in partnership to ensure effective service delivery.
• NICRO will conduct various programme interventions which will focus on psycho-social development of the offenders with the aim of reducing reoffending and achieving rehabilitation.

NICRO Colloquium launched at gala dinner in Cape Town!

The Alternative Sentencing Colloquium was opened with a gala dinner on the 17th February to celebrate the potential of the alternative sentencing options for South Africa. The guest speakers were Safety and Security Deputy Minister Johnny De Lange and NICRO Chair, Judge Nathan Erasmus.

NICRO CEO, Ms Soraya Solomon thanks NICRO Chair Judge Nathan Erasmus

NICRO Deputy CEO, Ms Celia Dawson taking the floor

Distinguished guests Mr Alastair Papps, Chair of the NICRO UK Trust and his wife Marian