South African Ministry of Correctional Services
Encyclopedia
The Department of Correctional Services is one of the departments
of the South African government
. It is responsible for running South Africa's prison
system. The department has about 34,000 staff and is responsible for the administration of 240 prisons, which accommodates about 189,748 inmates. The prisons include minimum, medium and maximum security facilities. The political head of the department is the Minister of Correctional Services
, currently Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
. The agency is headquartered in the West Block of the Poyntons Building in Pretoria
.
Ministry (government department)
A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister or a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or...
of the South African government
Government of South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a constitutional democracy with a three-tier system of government and an independent judiciary, operating in a nearly unique system that combines aspects of parliamentary and presidential systems. Legislative authority is held by the Parliament of South Africa...
. It is responsible for running South Africa's prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
system. The department has about 34,000 staff and is responsible for the administration of 240 prisons, which accommodates about 189,748 inmates. The prisons include minimum, medium and maximum security facilities. The political head of the department is the Minister of Correctional Services
Minister of Correctional Services (South Africa)
The Minister of Correctional Services is a Minister in the Government of South Africa, who is responsible for overseeing the Department of Correctional Services.-Ministers of Communications:-External links:**...
, currently Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is a South African politician, appointed minister of correctional services in 2009. She was the minister of home affairs from 2004.Mapisa-Nqakula obtained a teacher's diploma from the Bensonvale Teachers College....
. The agency is headquartered in the West Block of the Poyntons Building in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
.
Correctional centres
The 240 prisons run by the department include:- 8 women-only prisons
- 13 prisons for young offenders
- 40 prisons for male offenders
- 72 prisons for both male and female offenders
- 5 prisons that are temporarily closed down or undergoing renovations
Notable prisons
- Pollsmoor PrisonPollsmoor PrisonPollsmoor Prison, officially, Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison is a prison in the Cape Town suburb of Tokai in South Africa. Nelson Mandela was the most famous inmate of the prison...
in the Western Cape Province is the largest maximum security prison and houses inmates serving life or long term sentences. - C MaxC MaxC Max is the maximum security division of the Pretoria Correctional Services located in Central Pretoria, South Africa. It is run by the South African Ministry of Correctional Services.-Background:...
in PretoriaPretoriaPretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
is also a maximum security prison which houses inmates serving long sentences and those that are considered flight risks. - Drakenstein Correctional Centre, the prison from where Nelson MandelaNelson MandelaNelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
was released after serving a 30-year sentence for opposing Apartheid.
Branches
- Finance
- Development and Care
- Corrections
- Central Services
- Corporate Services
- Operations & Management Support