Imprisoning high numbers of offenders has not been demonstrated to enhance public safety or act as a deterrent to would-be offenders; the evidence points in the opposite direction.

Those among us who commit crime cannot be wished away as the sole responsibility of the prison system. This group will explore ways to support and rebuild the lives of the many offenders who are members of our families, communities and society. It will develop ways to prepare families to deal with ex-offenders, as well as defining partnerships between government and civil societies to ensure that interventions are sustained and effective. Such interventions will include programmes dealing with first time offenders, young offenders, rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners, community sentences, diversion, and restorative justice, with a focus on what works and what does not, innovation, and how to increase the scale of initiatives while maintaining standards for service delivery.

BIG IDEA 1: Improving coordination of programmes and servives available to offenders through the establishment of a coordinating bory whose overarching purpose is to reduce re-offending.

BIG IDEA 2: Advocate for comprehensive law and sentencing and reform

While it is unknown what the re-offending rate is in South Africa, it is commonly accepted that it is high and that many offenders are not in prison for the first time. It is also accepted that a relatively small group of offenders are responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime in the country. It is frequently observed that many offenders become involved in crime at a young age and from there, failed by the state and society, persist in repeat offending (recidivism). Generally offenders who are arrested and/or convicted do not receive services that reduce the risk of re-offending; they serve sentences that are void of plan or purpose.

Apart from inadequate services, many offenders end up in prison where they are exposed to further negative and destructive influences. Imprisoning high numbers of offenders has not been demonstrated to enhance public safety or act as a deterrent to would-be offenders; the evidence points in the opposite direction. Community instability, high rates of teenage pregnancies and high rates of sexually transmitted infections have been found to be a consequence of high imprisonment rates in particular communities. High imprisonment rates therefore contribute to the very conditions that give rise to high crime rates.