Today early in the morning Kokstad Community Corrections Officials pounced unannounced to offenders and parolees in Franklin, Swartburg, Maria Telt, Makhoba farm and Nook farming area in special monitoring.
Special monitoring is a programme whereby Department of Correctional Services “DCS” Reintegration and Community Corrections officials under DCS monitors offenders who have done half of their sentences inside Correctional Centres and have been granted the opportunity to prove themselves to be fit do the the remaining sentence at home.
Kokstad Management Reintegration Manager Virgil Fortuin said he is very happy with today’s outcome” I am satisfied with today’s outcome, we found all of them in their places they were not under the influence alcohol and drugs as prescribed in their conditions of parole by Department. They are complying and monitorable. Some made prior arrangements that they will visiting their families back home which is acceptable and there is nothing sinister about that as long as inform us prior that we won’t find them in their places of residence. What makes me more happy is that we did not encounter any complains from neighbours and community leaders to really ensure that they are complying and abiding by the regulations that were given to them upon their parole” said Fortuin. He apealled to the community and business fraternal to support these offenders upon their release by providing them with jobs so that they can sustain their lives.
Currently Kokstad does not have active cases of absconders of this programme, those who absconded were rearrested and it’s only 05 archived cases that they have. Absconders abscond due to various reasons some abscond due to that fact that during their parole they commit other cases and go for hiding avoiding to be rearrested. This programme of parole has yielded positive results as some parolees and probationers have proved themselves positively outside, some has created job opportunities to the communities from the skills that they were empowered with while they were serving in Correctional Centres.
