It can take a second to commit a crime but a lifetime to reverse the stigma, and while prisoners may be released on parole, they are never really free. Unable to escape the stigma to find employment, and barred from returning to any form of normal society, it is little wonder many prisoners commit new offences so as to return to the relative security of prison.
However, in a far-sighted and innovative programme in operation in the North West, the provincial Department of Correctional Services has partnered with Sun City Casino to turn this dilemma into a win-win situation for everyone.
Many prisoners are young, uneducated and unskilled, and lacking in support from family or their communities. To address this problem, the provincial authorities have introduced a halfway house which cares for the immediate needs of the parolees, while equipping them with practical skills they need to find jobs.
The project forms part of Sun City’s enterprise development programme, and the company has made a brick-making machine available for the parolees. While some prisoners make bricks, others are taught to build homes with them, as well as classrooms and clinics in needy areas.
The interlocking bricks are made by compressing soil and, unlike concrete or clay bricks, they require only four to five days to dry. After the foundation slab has been laid, it takes approximately 17 days to make and stack the bricks. Once complete, the homes are plastered inside and the property fenced in. In tests in Europe the bricks have been found to be more resilient to adverse weather conditions such as flooding, high winds and seismic activity.
The 16 square meter homes built with the bricks consist of two bedrooms and an open plan kitchen and lounge area. The properties also include water storage tanks to make the most of rain water. The properties are large enough for families to expand their homes when they are able to do so.
Since 2001, a total of 39 houses, three clinics and several school classrooms have been built using this method. The clinics now serve a community of approximately 50 000 who previously had to travel great distances for even rudimentary medical treatment.
In addition to using the parolees, Sun City has also sourced local skilled and unskilled labour and suppliers to assist with the building programme.
According to Mr Dan Ntsala, Public Affairs Executive at Sun City “We are immensely proud to be associated with this programme. We believe there can’t be true rehabilitation unless we put the opportunity for reformation in place. We are also pleased to be able to assist the paroles while at the same time meet the urgent need for infrastructure in our communities, and to draw on local enterprise to assist with each project.”
Stimorol Springbreak | Sun City
Image by Sun International South Africa
Sun City plays host to the biggest and most exciting beach party of the year. Stimorol Springbreak 2011 took place at the Valley of Waves from the 30th September to 2nd October 2011. Live entertainment and fun in the sun all weekend. Read all about it here: bit.ly/o4MrR4.
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