PRESENTATION ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HALF WAY HOUSE

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES A A NESENGANI

DATE: 16TH JULY 2015

INTRODUCTION

• Correctional Services Act number 111, of 1998 and its amendments states that the National Commissioner may allow community organizations, Non Governmental Organization and religious denominations , or organizations to interact with sentenced offenders in order to facilitate the rehabilitation and integration of the offenders into the community Section 13 (7)(a)

• Chapter 13 of the White Paper

INTRO CNTD

• One of the conditions of offenders to be released on parole is that they must have a monitor able address and a support system. The address must be confirmed by a correctional official.

• The then Minister mandated the Department to start a process of establishing half way houses.

• Relationship are managed through Service Level Agreement.

PURPOSE

- To enhance the utilization of halfway houses as an alternative to non custodial sentencing.

- To invite the Non Profit Organization to participate in the process of halfway house.

MANDATE

Constitution of South Africa

Correctional Services Act 111, 1998, section 16

Halfway house policy

White Paper on Corrections 2005

DEFINITION

• Halfway house – Community based residential facilities for probationers and parolees without monitorable address or support system.

• Support system- This refers to next of kin or extended family and friends which constitute a conducive environment outside a correctional center for a parolee or probationer not to reoffend or return to the life of crime without any extra burden of abuse one to violate his condition or go back to the life of crime or reoffend.

• NPO- Non Profit Organization

• Partnership- A regulated relationship between the Department of Correctional Services and any organization that need to assist the Department in the rehabilitation of offenders.

DEFINITIONS

• Parolee is a person serving part of his or her sentence within the community.

• Correctional and Parole Supervision serve as an alternative to imprisonment and are collectively referred to as Community Corrections.

• Probationer refers to a person who is serving a sentence of correctional supervision, and was sentenced by a court of law to correctional supervision or has been placed on correctional supervision by the Commissioner of Correctional Services or his/her delegate

MODEL AND PRINCIPLES OF HALF WAY HOUSE

• Dcs explored on two option: to establish a halfway house owned by the Dcs or.

• To form partnership • Desk top research was conducted and experiential visit was

undertaken to international countries. • Halfway house shall not be an extension correctional centres • Parolees to be involved in structured programmes

• PARTNERSHIP WAS THE OPTION APPROVED

As part of this initiative, two options as to the optimal approach have been proposed, each relating to the degree of autonomy and control that DCS has in the running of the Halfway Houses

As such, Option 1, namely a partnership between DCS and NGO, is the recommended approach

Option 1 Option 2Partnership with NGOs running Halfway

Houses

Pro’s Cons

Expertise already in place International research and

local experience suggests more effective integration and therefore success

Coordination within community itself by virtue of being NGOs

Family environment as opposed to institutional environment

Image of DCS linked to an entity which is not DCS

Small numbers

DCS-run Halfway Houses

Pro’s Cons

Facilities under DCS control Numbers can be greater No reliance on outside

agencies

Potentially not as effective Numbers are greater but

facilities could be geographically limited

Staff maintain security attitude and institutional setup makes rehabilitation more difficult

Uniforms in community makes engagement more difficult

Recommended

According to best practice, the application of the “8 Principles of Effective Intervention” in the halfway house system is critical to realise the greatest recidivism reductions

Source: “Best Practices Toolkit: Community Corrections and Evidence Based Principles and Practices”, Ohio Department of rehabilitation and Corrections, Feburary 2008

Enhancement of reintegration and rehabilitation

1

Assess Offender Needs2

Design Responsivity into Programming

3

Develop Behaviour Management Plans

4

Deliver Treatment with Cognitive-Based Strategies

5

Motivate & Shape Offender Behaviours

6

Engender Community Support7

Identify Outcomes and Measure Progress

8

Halfway houses should provide reintegration and rehabilitation through treatment of probationer and parolees

Assess criminogenic needs (dynamic risk factors) of parolees using research based instruments, with the goal of programming to diminish needs

Programming should account for individual offender characteristics that interfere with or facilitate an offender’s ability and motivation to learn

Individual programming should occur in the context of a larger behaviour management plan developed for each offender, which includes the priority and sequence of treatment programmes, the means for measuring treatment gains and the goals for a crime-free lifestyle

Research indicates that cognitive behavioural treatments are more effective than any other form of correctional intervention because these treatment types address criminal thinking and behaviours in offenders

Programming should include structure or capacity for rewarding positive behaviour in addition to punishing negative behaviour

Offenders immediate family members and the social service agencies in the community - to which the offender will be returning – must be involved

All programmes should have identified outcomes and integrated methods for measuring progress towards objectives

8 Principles of Effective Intervention

Further research indicates that a successful halfway house initiative revolves around various fundamental principles, guided by international best practice

Fundamental Principles

Not Exhaustive

Leadership & Implementation

A strong network of support for the correctional programme is required, both within the facility and in the wider community

The programme leadership needs to be on the shop floor and involved in the day-to-day operations

Related structures – such as parole, court and state structures – need to support the correctional facility

There needs to be volunteer support from the community and surrounding neighborhood

1

Staff

Ongoing training in effective techniques and approaches in providing treatment is required

Quality of supervision, provision and the communication of ethical guidelines are critical

2

Offender Assessment

Fundamental to have a system of appropriate and effective risk assessment for actuarial risks and the needs of participating offenders, followed up by good case plans for individual offenders

Certain offender characteristics - such as marital status, language ability and reading level – contribute to the likelihood that an offender will return, or not, to criminal activity

Treatment programme personnel need to be able to accurately judge these risks and take the risks into account when devising a case plan for an individual

3Treatment

Components

The best treatment programmes follow a model that is based upon data-driven evidence of what works and what doesn’t

Follow-up is essential, as well as having a treatment model that incorporates appropriate rewards and appropriate consequences and then following up with those rewards or consequences

4

Source: “UC research points to best practices to reduce recidivism”; 11/07/2011

Quality Assurance

Good programmes monitor themselves and their participant and track their own recidivism rates

Such programmes debrief frequently to encourage learning

They conduct exit interviews of participants and continually reassess to make sure they’re doing what they’re supposed to

5

The Halfway House initiative has emerged as a fundamental mechanism by which DCS can achieve some of its strategic objectives, for a variety of reasons

• Provides monitorable address and support system and serves as a critical component of the correctional process

• Studies have shown that halfway houses do not contribute to increased crime rates or to decreased property values

• Assists in the re-integration of offenders back into the community – recidivism rates are low among offenders who are released back into the community graduallY

• Success rates are good for offenders who are released back into the community through halfway houses

• Even among offenders who do not successfully complete periods of conditional release, the majority of offenders fail because they violate a condition of the release

“Most criminals are more likely to become law abiding citizens if they participate in a programme of gradual supervised release” – Correctional Services of Canada

Benefits of Halfway Houses

Source: Halfway House: John Howard Society of Alberta

THE ROLE OF HALF WAY HOUSES

• It is a replacement of a family or a home within the community.

• To cater for parolees and probationers without support system or monitorable address.

• To enhance the process of successful reintegrating parolees and probationers

• To act as a bridge between the correctional centre and the community for those who do not have support systems

• To provide scheduled programmes that prepares parolees and probationers for employment.

ROLE OF HALFWAY HOUSE

• To network through NPO s with various industries for employment.

• To instil family values to parolees and probationers correctional centres.

• To assist in enhancing moral regeneration to parolees as part of their preparation for successful reintegration

•

ROLE OF DCS IN THE HALF WAY HOUSE

• It is the custodian of policy guide to the establishment of partnership on half way house.

• DCS identifies NPO s to partner with in the administration of Halfway house.

• DCS pay a stipend to the NPO • Dcs monitor and supervise parolees and probationers

within the halfway house• Parolees and probationers are still under the system of

community corrections. • Each probationer and parolee has a supervision official

ROLE OF DCS IN THE HALFWAY HOUSE

• DCS monitor and evaluate the Non Profit Organisation and its programme.

• DCS also has meetings with NPO running the halfway house one a month

• Halfway houses are aligned to management areas• Referral of offenders is done by the Parole Board • Disciplinary hearings are conducted by DCS

through Comcorr.

ROLE OF DCS IN THE HALFWAY HOUSE

• DCS can terminate the partnership if the NPO is not operating according to the Service Level Agreement.

• A liaison officer was appointed to be the contact person for the DCS.

Role of CMCs, HCCs, Community Liaison and CSPBs

• To play a supporting role to the stakeholders CMCs, HCCs and CSPBs• Assist in terms of identifying suitable and eligible

residents in conjunction with stakeholders • Ensure that proper classification is done for the

residents of the halfway house • Assign residents to a monitoring official • Make recommendations regarding the placement

of offenders on parole or correctional supervision and the conditions of such placement

Role of CMCs, HCCs, Community Liaison and CSPBs (cont)

• Review offender profile• Review security classifications from time to time;• Update and assess the residents on monthly basis or

when a need arises • Attend meetings on halfway house issues • Inform offenders of the contents of reports submitted to

CSPB and afford residents the opportunity to submit

written representations to CSPB

Role of CMCs, HCCs, Community Liaison and CSPBs (cont)

Community Liaison • Assist in creating an enabling environment

where a human rights culture is upheld, reconciliation, forgiveness and healing are facilitated;

• Residents are encouraged and assisted to discard negative values, adopt and develop positive ones which are acceptable to society.

CURRENT PROGRESS

• Six NPO s were partnered with to establish Halfway houses in six regions

• LMN 3 , Gauteng 1, Eastern 1, Western Cape 2• 66 parolees and probationers were

reintegrated into their community of origin• Mostly are permanently employed and shall

not return to the life crime

CURRENT PROGRESS

• Note that all parolees and probationers are under the system of community corrections

CONCLUSION

• Partnership is a fundamental factor in the successful reintegration of offenders

THANK YOU

NDAA NDO LIVHUWA U FHIWA TSHIFHINGA