Inmates disgruntled over late releases

INMATES at the Hardap Correctional Facility allege many of them are released late in relation to their remission and parole dates.

In a letter written to the inmates say offenders’ files are not up to date and are not attended to on a monthly basis to confirm points earned or scored that determine whether they can be released on parole or remission.

Parole allows offenders to make a safe, gradual and supervised return to society, and can be granted to an offender when the risk they present to public safety is considered manageable.

Remission of sentence affords another opportunity to non-scheduled offenders to qualify for a reduction of their sentence based mainly on the offender’s good behaviour.

Offenders displaying consistently good conduct, which prison authorities need to document throughout, qualify for a maximum of 15 days per month, but may only be released once two thirds of the sentence have been completed.

“Some offenders do not have case management officers, which results in offenders being released weeks or months after their due dates. This makes it impossible to challenge a release claim when these records are not properly maintained,” the inmates said in the letter.

They are appealing for case management officers to be assigned, and administrative work to be properly managed as they claim this matter seriously disadvantages prisoners at the Hardap Correctional Facility.

Offenders in the facility’s B-section claim about 30 of them do not have case management officers.

A family member who spoke on condition of anonymity, say the lack of case management files or files not being updated is a frequent occurrence at the facility.

They say their family members would inform them multiple times of the possibility of being released earlier, however, that is later not the case.

“We feel as a family that justice delayed is justice denied. Frequently you will hear them complaining about these matters, and we feel if it’s the case, it should be corrected that all offenders are treated fairly,” a family member says.

Spokesperson for the Namibian Correctional Service Sam Shaalulange says offenders in the facility’s B-section do not require case management officers as they are serving short-term sentences of up to 18 months.

Shaalulange, however, says there is no backlog in cases where offenders have reached the stage where they do qualify for parole or remission.

“Cases of parole and remission for short-term sentences are not dealt with by case management officers. Their cases are dealt with by the officers who are on duty with them daily,” he says.

He says should there be individual cases offenders know of they should report these to the correctional facility’s senior management.