Submission by CSPRI on torture in prisons to the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services

On 30 November 2011, CSPRI’s Project Coordinator Lukas Muntingh presented a submission on the prevention and eradication of torture in South African prisons to the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services (PCCS).

The PCCS had invited stakeholders to engage with PCCS members on the issue of torture, ahead of their own engagement on the matter with the Department of Correctional Services (DCS). In its submission, CSPRI recommended the PCCS to urge DCS to include education on the prohibition of torture in staff training and to include prevention of torture in DCS’s policies regarding the custody, treatment, care and management of prisoners. DCS should furthermore be urged to report back on any measures taken with regard to implementation of the decision by the UN Human Rights Committee on the McCallum case. CSPRI furthermore recommended exploring increased mandatory investigative powers for the Judicial Inspectorate of Correctional Services. Another recommendation was that PCCS engages with the PC on Justice and Constitutional Development to expedite the legislative process in respect of the Combating of Torture Bill, which will criminalise torture and should also include other measures in order to fully domesticate the UN Convention against Torture. Finally, CSPRI called for speedy ratification and implementation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, which would greatly contribute to the prevention of torture.

For the full text of the submission, please click here.