The Jali Commission into prison corruption has left prison staff demoralised, the Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative (CSPRI) said on Monday.
”… the public [and honest, hard-working officials] had to endure revelation after revelation of dishonest, criminal and corrupt acts by officials of the [Department of Correctional Services],” the CSPRI said in a statement.
”There is little doubt that this had an extremely demoralising effect on the staff of the [Department of Correctional Services],” it said.
”It will also be some time before public perceptions about the [department] are not immediately associated with corruption.”
It nonetheless commended the department for taking the ”positive step” of asking President Thabo Mbeki to appoint the commission to probe allegations of massive corruption, violence and intimidation in prisons.
The CSPRI on Monday released a summary of the Jali Commission’s 2006 report, which confirmed the allegations.
”The full report of the Jali Commission is a lengthy document, 1 800 pages long — it must be assumed that only the most dedicated researchers and officials will read and study it in its entirety.
”The CSPRI hopes that the summarised version of the report will draw more readers and encourage discussion and debate on key recommendations made by the commission,” it said. — Sapa