Provision of vocational education and training programmes as a rehabilitative strategy : a case study of a correctional centre

Abstract

South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. Ex-offenders suffer the most in this circumstance since employers are hesitant to hire somebody with a criminal record. As a result, it is critical that the Department of Corrections (DCS) guarantees that upon release, offenders are adequately equipped with marketable skills that will enable them to be self-sufficient or employed. If ex-offenders lack skills and competencies, they may revert to criminality as a survival measure. All key stakeholders must utilise and implement the Offender Rehabilitation Path (ORP) policy correctly for successful rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders. This study aims to investigate the provision of vocational education and training (VET) programmes at a correctional centre within a management area from a rehabilitative standpoint. The Good Lives Model (GLM) and the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) models were employed in the study. A qualitative enquiry was used to gather data from three offenders, two parolees and four educators, who were purposively selected. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were done with offenders, parolees were reached by phone, and educators completed an online questionnaire. The key findings indicate that non-adherence and non-compliance with the ORP process as part of offender rehabilitation, a limited budget for school activities, a shortage of specialist educators, the closure of the offender skills training workshop, and insufficient learner teacher support materials (LTSM) are some of the factors contributing to DCS’s inability to honour its rehabilitative agenda through the provision of VET programmes. As a result, at the national level, the DCS Directorate of Skills Development must offer primarily financial assistance and competent staff to handle the bulk of challenges encountered at the correctional centre level within management areas. The DCS must also extend its relationships with public and private companies to aid them in their reintegration efforts to locate work for parolees so that they may fully reintegrate into society.

Izinga lokuntuleka kwemisebenzi eNingizimu Afrika lingelinye eliphezulu kakhulu emhlabeni. Abakade benecala bathinteke kakhulu kulesi simo njengoba abaqashi bengafuni ukuqasha abantu abanerekhodi lobugebengu. Ngakho-ke, kubalulekile ukuthi uMnyango Wezinkonzo Zokuhlunyeleliswa Kwezimilo (i-DCS) uqinisekise ukuthi, lapho bededelwa, izephula-mthetho zihlonyiswe ngokugcwele ngamakhono yemisebenzi ukuzenza zikwazi ukuzimela noma zikwazi ukuqashwa. Uma labo ababezephula umthetho bengenawo amakhono yemisebenzi, bangabuyela ebugebengwini njengendlela yokusinda. Ukuhlunyeleliswa kwezimilo okuyimpumelelo kanye nokuhlanganiswa kabusha kwabenzi bobubi kuncike ekusetshenzisweni ngendlela efanele nasekusetshenzisweni kwenqubomgomo ye-Offender Rehabilitation Path (ORP) yibo bonke ababambiqhaza abafanelekile. Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuhlola ukuhlinzekwa kwezinhlelo zemfundo nokuqeqeshwa kwemisebenzi yezandla (VET) esikhungweni sokuhlunyeleliswa kwezimilo endaweni yabaphathi ngokombono wokuvuselela. Ucwaningo lusebenzise Imodeli Yokuphila Okuhle (i-GLM) kanye nethiyori yemodeli ye-Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR). Kwasetshenziswa uphenyo olusezingeni eliphezulu ukuze kuqoqwe imininingwane kubaphuli mthetho abathathu, ababili abakhululwe ngoshwele kanye nothisha abane, ababekhethwe ngenhloso. Izingxoxiswano ezingahlelekile zenziwa ubuso nobuso nezaphula-mthetho, kwaxhunyanwa nabakhululwe ngoshwele ngocingo futhi othisha baphendula kuhlu lwemibuzo oluku-inthanethi. Okutholakele okubalulekile kukhombisa ukuthi ukungalandelwa kwemithetho kanye nokungahambisani nenqubo ye-ORP njengengxenye yokuhlunyeleliswa kwezigilamkhuba, isabelomali esilinganiselwe semisebenzi yesikole, ukushoda kothisha abangochwepheshe, ukuvalwa komhlangano wokucobelelana ngolwazi lokuqeqeshwa kwabenzi bobubi, kanye nezinsizakusebenza ezinganele zokuxhasa abafundi. (I-LTSM) ngezinye zezinto ezinomthelela ekungakwazini kwe-DCS ukuhlonipha i-ajenda yayo yokuvuselela ngokuhlinzeka ngezinhlelo ze-VET ngaphakathi kwezikhungo zayo zokuhlunyeleliswa kwezimilo. Ngenxa yalokho, i-DCS Directorate of Skills Development ezingeni likazwelonke kufanele inikeze ngokuyinhloko usizo lwezezimali kanye nabasebenzi abanekhono ukuze babhekane neningi lezindaba okuhlangatshezwane nazo ezingeni lesikhungo sokuhlunyeleliswa kwezimilo ezindaweni zokuphatha. I-DCS kufanele futhi inwebe ubudlelwano bayo nezinkampani zikahulumeni nezizimele ukuze izisize emizamweni yazo yokubuyisela esimweni sokuhlangana ukuze bathole umsebenzi wabakhululwe ngoshwele ukuze baphinde bahlangane ngokugcwele emphakathini.

Die werkloosheidsyfer in Suid-Afrika is van die hoogste ter wêreld. Oud-oortreders word swaar getref in hierdie scenario aangesien werkgewers nie gretig is om individue met 'n kriminele rekord in diens te neem nie. Daarom is dit noodsaaklik dat die Departement van Korrektiewe Dienste (DKD) verseker dat, by vrylating, oortreders ten volle toegerus is met bemarkbare vaardighede om hulle óf selfonderhoudend óf indiensneembaar te maak. As oud-oortreders nie vaardighede en bevoegdhede het nie, kan hulle terugkeer na misdadigheid as 'n oorlewingsmaatreël. Suksesvolle rehabilitasie en herintegrasie van oortreders maak staat op die behoorlike gebruik en implementering van die Oortreder-rehabilitasiepad- (ORP-) beleid deur alle relevante belanghebbendes. Hierdie studie poog om die verskaffing van beroepsonderwys- en opleidingsprogramme in 'n korrektiewe sentrum binne 'n bestuursarea vanuit 'n rehabilitatiewe perspektief te ondersoek. Die studie het die Good Lives Model (GLM) en die Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) modelteorieë gebruik. ’n Kwalitatiewe ondersoek is gebruik om data van drie oortreders, twee paroolvrygesteldes en vier opvoeders, wat doelbewus gekies is, in te samel. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is van aangesig tot aangesig met oortreders gevoer, paroolgangers is telefonies gekontak en die opvoeders het aanlyn op 'n vraelys gereageer. Die sleutelbevindinge dui daarop dat nie-nakoming van die ORP-proses as deel van oortreder-rehabilitasie, 'n beperkte begroting vir skoolaktiwiteite, 'n tekort aan spesialis-opvoeders, die sluiting van die oortredervaardigheidsopleidingswerkswinkel en onvoldoende leerderonderwyserondersteuningsmateriaal (LOOM) van die faktore wat bydra tot die DKD se onvermoë om sy rehabilitatiewe agenda te eerbiedig deur die verskaffing van beroepsonderwys- en opleidingsprogramme binne sy korrektiewe sentrums. Gevolglik moet die DKD Direktoraat Vaardigheidsontwikkeling op nasionale vlak, hoofsaaklik finansiële bystand en bekwame personeel, bied om die meerderheid van die kwessies wat op die korrektiewe-sentrumvlak binne bestuursgebiede teëgekom word, te hanteer. Die DKD moet ook sy verhoudings met openbare en private maatskappye uitbrei om hulle te help in hulle herintegrasiepogings om werk vir paroolgangers op te spoor sodat hulle ten volle by die samelewing kan herintegreer.