NCJ Number
226424
Journal
International Criminal Justice Review Volume: 19 Issue: 1 Dated: March 2009 Pages: 46-63
Date Published
March 2009
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study investigated the use of impartial oversight mechanisms to promote transparency and official accountability of staff in South African prisons.
Abstract
None of the demographic variables (gender, age, education, length of South African Judicial Inspectorate of Prisons (JIOP) employment) were good predictors of capture although having more education seemed to have provided slight protection against overly identifying with prison officials. How long someone had been employed with the JIOP had no effect on their scores on the capture indices. Although no association between how long someone worked as a regulator and how much they identified with those they were regulating were found, researchers did find that the longer one worked as a regulator, the less likely the regulator would be tough with those they were overseeing. Among the larger population of JIOP staff, there actually is not a relationship between capture and the demographic and job-related variables. One of the most striking findings was that JIOP staff expressing a desire to one day work for Department of Correctional Services (DCS) had higher levels of capture (when a JIOP employee was not acting strictly in the prisoners’ interest, they were deemed to have been captured) than staff not wanting this. Three correlates of capture developed: transparency of prisons, the powerlessness with DCS, and hostility from DCS scales. The results lend credence to the suspicion that as JIOP staff become increasingly co-opted by prison officials the ability of the public to learn about what is transpiring inside prisons and the public’s participation in prison-related matters diminishes. As scores on the three capture measures increased, JIOP staff reports of hostility from prison officials declined. Recommendations for the JIOP and other similar prison oversight bodies are discussed. Data were collected from current JIOP employees who as part of the irregular duties visit and/or inspect prisons, were key decisionmakers as to JIOP policy and operations. Tables, appendix, notes, references