CORRECTIONAL SERVICE

1.0INTRODUCTION

The Department of Correctional Service collects raw data on offenders from all Correctional Institutions throughout the country. The data is then edited and tabulated by this department. The secondary data, which is in the form of tables is then forwarded to the Bureau of Statistics (BoS) to be re-edited, analysed and published.

The information on offenders is important in that; data on the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of lawbreakers; who eventually go to Correctional Institutions, are recorded. This data comprise the following variables; type of offences by Correctional Institution, number of offenders received by age, sex, educational status (those who have completed a certain level of education and those who are still at that level will be categorised together), marital status, length of imprisonment, corporal punishment and the number of persons on remand, discharged, hospitalised and those reported to have died in Correctional Institutions.

Data for Juvenile Training Centre (JTC) will be presented in the same tables as other Correctional Institutions. However, JTC is different from other Correctional Institutions in that it is a specialised centre, which keeps young detainees not young offenders. The purpose of having a training centre of this kind is to rehabilitate young detainees to become law abiding, productive and socially acceptable citizens of Lesotho.

The Central Correctional Institution and the JTC are meant for male offenders only while Female Correctional Institution deals with female offenders only. The rest of the Correctional Institutions (CI) receive both males and females.

1.1THE CURRENT STATUS

The total number of persons received in all Correctional Institutions as from 1st October to the 31st December 2003 was 2,007. Out of this total, approximately 94 percent of the persons received were males and only 6 percent of persons received were females. All the Correctional Institutions that kept both males and females (but in different blocks/buildings) had higher percentages of males than females. During this quarter; there were no females received in Mokhotlong and Qacha’s Nek Correctional Institutions. Figure 1.1 illustrates the percentage distribution of offenders received by sex in individual Correctional Institutions.

1.2 OFFENDERS WHO WERE CONVICTED, REMANDED AND DISCHARGED

Figure 1.2 displays the percentage distribution of offenders convicted, discharged and remanded by individual Correctional Institution. Of all offenders received in each Correctional Institution, the proportion of offenders discharged was highest except in Berea and Mokhotlong where most of the offenders were convicted and in Mohale’s Hoek where most of the offenders were remanded. The figure further shows that in Mokhotlong Correctional Institution, the highest percentage (41.9) of offenders were convicted while Qacha’s Nek had the lowest percentage (just above zero) of convicted offenders as compared to offenders convicted in other Correctional Institutions. For persons remanded, the JTC reported the lowest percentage (8.7) while Qacha’s Nek had the highest percentage (48.8) remanded as compared to other Correctional Institutions.

NB: Each Correctional Institution was treated independently

1.3 AGE AND SEX OF OFFENDERS

Figure 1.3 categorizes the offenders convicted, discharged and remanded during the fourth quarter of 2003 by sex and age group. Percentages of persons in the three mentioned categories are computed independently for each age group and for sex. At all age groups, there were more persons discharged than persons either convicted or remanded; and most of the discharged persons (about 66 percent) were amongst the women aged 21 years and above. The lowest proportion (about 50 percent) of discharges was amongst men of all ages. Though there were more males received than females, 44 percent of females aged less than 21 years were convicted while only about 18 percent of males at ages less than 21 years were convicted. This was probably because more of males than females in this age group were remanded. There were no females remanded at ages under 21 years and the highest proportion of offenders remanded (32 percent) was among males aged less than 21 years in all Correctional Institutions.

1.4TYPE OF OFFENCE COMMITTED IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND MARITAL STATUS

Table 1.1 shows the distribution of offenders by type of offence in each Correctional Institution by marital status. Each of the types of offences in this table was treated independently by Correctional Institution and marital status. Offenders who reported their marital status as single represented the majority in committing any of the two types of offences except for Thaba-Tseka; these are offence against person and offence against property. On average, mostly married persons in all Correctional Institutions committed the majority of other offences. Married offenders constituted 42.8 percent of those who had committed offences against persons; constituted 42.3 percent of those who had committed offences against property and they constituted 57.3 percent of offenders who had committed other offences. None of the married offenders in JTC had committed other offences and Qacha’s Nek Correctional Institution reported the highest proportion (85.7 percent) of married offenders who had committed other offences.

Table 1.1: Percentage Distribution of Offenders by Type of Offence, Correctional Institutions and Marital Status, Fourth Quarter, 2003
Correctional
Institutions / Types of offences
Offence against
Person / Offence against
Property / Other offences
Married Single Married Single Married Single

Central

Juvenile
Female
Berea
Leribe
Butha-Buthe
Mokhotlong
Thaba-Tseka
Qacha’s Nek
Quthing
M/Hoek
Mafeteng / 39.1
16.7
20
45.9
39
47.5
59.5
55.1
43.3
28.6
44.8
35.6 / 60.9
83.3
80
54.1
61
52.5
40.5
44.9
56.7
71.4
55.2
64.4 / 40.2
6.3
43.8
56.6
35.4
38.9
50
66.3
37.5
48.5
31
36 / 59.8
93.7
56.2
43.4
64.6
61.1
50
33.7
62.5
51.5
69
64 / 58.3
0
57.1
58.3
58.3
36.8
76.9
75
85.7
58.8
42.9
43.5 / 41.7
100
42.9
41.7
41.7
63.2
23.1
25
14.3
41.2
57.1
56.5

Total

/ 42.8 / 57.2 / 42.3 / 57.7 / 57.3 / 42.7

1.5PERSONS RECEIVED IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND TYPE OF OFFENCE

Offenders who committed offences against person constituted the highest proportion (about 57 percent) in Mohale’s Hoek Correctional Institution. They were also dominant in most Correctional Institutions except in Central, JTC, Female and Leribe Correctional Institutions; where offenders who had committed offences against property were dominant. Offenders who had committed offences against property constituted the highest proportion (69.6 percent) of offenders received in JTC. The lowest proportion of offenders (about 32 percent) of this type was reported in Mokhotlong Correctional Institution. On the overall, all Correctional Institutions had the lowest proportion of offenders held for committing other offences; but the lowest of them all was reported in JTC (4.3 percent) while the highest percentage (21.2) of offenders of this type of offence was received in Female Correctional Institution (see Fig. 1.4).

NB: Each Correctional Institution was treated independently

1.6TYPES OF OFFENCES AND EDUCATIONAL STATUS

.

Table 1.2: Percentage Distribution of Offenders by Type of Offence and Educational Status, Fourth Quarter, 2003
Type of offence
/
Educational attainment
None / Primary / Secondary / High / University /
Total
Offence against
Person
Offence against
Property
Other offences / 28.5
25.1
29.7 / 49.1
47.3
43 / 15
14.8
14.7 / 7
12.2
10.8 / 0.4
0.6
1.8 / 100
100
100
Total / 27.3 / 47.5 / 14.9 / 9.6 / 0.7 / 100

Table 1.2 displays the percentage distribution of offenders by type of offence and educational status. In general, most of the offenders who committed any type of offence had attained primary education (47.5 percent), and then followed by those with no education with 27.3 percent. Those with secondary school education constituted 14.9 percent while those with high school education constituted 9.6 percent. Only 0.7 percent of the offenders had university education. As stated earlier in this paragraph, offenders who had attained primary education presented the majority in any of the types of offences. They constituted 49.1 percent, 47.3 percent and 43 percent for offences against person, offences against property and other offences respectively. On the other hand, offenders who had attained university education constituted the minority in each of the types of offences. They constituted 0.4 percent, 0.6 percent and 1.8 percent for offences against person, offences against property and other offences respectively.

1.7OFFENCE AGAINST PERSON AND EDUCATIONAL STATUS

Percentages of offences committed against persons, as presented by Table 1.3; indicate that most of the offenders who had committed offences against persons (49.1 percent) had only achieved primary education. All in all, the majority of offenders who had committed offences against persons had attained primary education except in JTC, Mokhotlong and in Thaba Tseka Correctional Institutions where offenders who had no education were dominant. The least of this type of offenders (0.4 percent) had achieved university education, and were found in Central and Berea Correctional Institutions. The JTC, Female, Mokhotlong, Qacha’s Nek and Quthing Correctional Institutions had no offenders who had attained high school education and above during this quarter.

Table 1.3: Percentage Distribution of Offenders by Correctional Institutions, Offence Against Person and Educational Status, Fourth Quarter, 2003
Correctional
Institutions /
Educational Status
University / High
School / Secondary
School / Primary
School / None / Total
Central / 1.1 / 10.6 / 14.0 / 46.4 / 27.9 / 100
Juvenile / 0.0 / 0.0 / 16.7 / 33.3 / 50.0 / 100
Female / 0.0 / 0.0 / 20.0 / 70.0 / 10.0 / 100
Berea / 1.8 / 6.3 / 18.9 / 51.4 / 21.6 / 100
Leribe / 0.0 / 7.3 / 23.6 / 52.8 / 16.3 / 100
Butha-Buthe / 0.0 / 11.3 / 13.8 / 55.0 / 20.0 / 100
Mokhotlong / 0.0 / 0.0 / 13.5 / 40.5 / 45.9 / 100
Thaba-Tseka / 0.0 / 1.0 / 10.2 / 40.8 / 48.0 / 100
Q/Nek / 0.0 / 0.0 / 3.3 / 60.0 / 36.7 / 100
Quthing / 0.0 / 0.0 / 22.9 / 40.0 / 37.1 / 100
M/Hoek / 0.0 / 11.5 / 11.5 / 43.8 / 33.3 / 100
Mafeteng / 0.0 / 6.9 / 11.9 / 57.4 / 23.8 / 100
Total / 0.4 / 7.0 / 15.0 / 49.1 / 28.5 / 100

1.8 OFFENCE AGAINST PROPERTY AND EDUCATIONAL STATUS

Table 1.4 shows the percentage distribution of offenders in each Correctional Institution by offence against property and educational status. About 47.3 percent of all offenders who had committed offences against property had primary education, 25.1 percent had no education, 14.8 percent had secondary education, 12.2 percent had secondary education and 0.6 percent had university education. Mokhotlong Correctional Institution had the largest proportion (54.2 percent) of offenders who had committed offences against property and had no education; Female Correctional Institution had the lowest proportion (6.3 percent) of offenders who had no education as compared to offenders with no education received in other Correctional Institutions. JTC had the highest proportion (62.5 percent) of offenders who had attained primary education and had committed an offence against property, whereas Central Correctional Institution had the least percentage (33.2) of offenders with primary education as compared to offenders with primary education received in each of the Correctional Institutions.

As depicted by Table 1.4, Female Correctional Institution had none of its offenders with secondary school as their highest level of education that had committed an offence against property, while Central Correctional Institution had the highest percentage (24.1) of offenders with secondary education. JTC and Mokhotlong Correctional Institutions had none of their offenders with high school education who had committed an offence against property, while Female Correctional Institution had the highest proportion (37.5 percent) of offenders with high school education. There were no reports of offences against property with university education in all Correctional Institutions except for Female Correctional Institution and Central, which reported 6.3 percent and 2.0 percent respectively.

Table 1.4: Percentage Distribution of Offenders by Correctional Institutions, Offence Against Property and Educational Status, Fourth Quarter, 2003
Correctional
Institutions /
Educational Status
University / High
School / Secondary
School / Primary
School / None / Total
Central / 2.0 / 19.1 / 24.1 / 33.2 / 21.6 / 100
Juvenile / 0.0 / 0.0 / 12.5 / 62.5 / 25.0 / 100
Female / 6.3 / 37.5 / 0.0 / 50.0 / 6.3 / 100
Berea / 0.0 / 10.8 / 20.5 / 53.0 / 15.7 / 100
Leribe / 0.0 / 9.2 / 14.6 / 60.0 / 16.2 / 100
Butha-Buthe / 0.0 / 11.1 / 13.0 / 51.9 / 24.1 / 100
Mokhotlong / 0.0 / 0.0 / 4.2 / 41.7 / 54.2 / 100
Thaba-Tseka / 0.0 / 2.5 / 6.3 / 41.3 / 50.0 / 100
Q/Nek / 0.0 / 5.0 / 5.0 / 57.5 / 32.5 / 100
Quthing / 0.0 / 9.1 / 12.1 / 48.5 / 30.3 / 100
M/Hoek / 0.0 / 13.8 / 6.9 / 55.2 / 24.1 / 100
Mafeteng / 0.0 / 15.7 / 14.6 / 46.1 / 23.6 / 100
Total / 0.6 / 12.2 / 14.8 / 47.3 / 25.1 / 100

1.9OTHER TYPES OF OFFENCES AND EDUCATIONAL STATUS

As presented by Table 1.5, and in the same way as with other types of offences; most of the offenders who had committed other offences (43 percent) had attained primary education; the least of these offenders (1.8 percent) had university education. Percentage of offenders with no education who had committed other offences was highest in Thaba-Tseka and Qacha’s Nek; which both reported 64.3 percent of their offenders while JTC had no offenders with this level of education. All persons who had committed other types of offences in JTC had only attained primary education, making it the highest bearer at that level of education; the lowest percentage (23.5) as compared to offenders with primary education received in each of the Correctional Institutions; was reported in Quthing Correctional Institution.

With respect to secondary education, JTC, Qacha’s Nek and Mokhotlong Correctional Institutions had no offenders who had attained this level of education; the highest percentage of offenders who had attained secondary level was reported in Butha-Buthe Correctional Institution (26.3 percent). JTC, Female, Mokhotlong, Thaba-Tseka and Mohale’s Hoek Correctional Institutions had no offenders with their highest level of education being high school who had committed other offences, while the highest proportion of offenders of this kind (20.8 percent) was reported in Leribe Correctional Institution.

Table 1.5: Percentage Distribution of Offenders by Correctional Institutions, Other Offences and Educational Status, Fourth Quarter, 2003
Correctional
Institutions /
Educational Status
University / High
School / Secondary
School / Primary
School / None / Total
Central / 1.7 / 20.0 / 21.7 / 40.0 / 16.7 / 100
Juvenile / 0.0 / 0.0 / 0.0 / 100.0 / 0.0 / 100
Female / 0.0 / 0.0 / 14.3 / 28.6 / 57.1 / 100
Berea / 2.8 / 5.6 / 16.7 / 63.9 / 11.1 / 100
Leribe / 8.3 / 20.8 / 8.3 / 29.2 / 33.3 / 100
Butha-Buthe / 5.3 / 15.8 / 26.3 / 47.4 / 5.3 / 100
Mokhotlong / 0.0 / 0.0 / 0.0 / 61.5 / 38.5 / 100
Thaba-Tseka / 0.0 / 0.0 / 14.3 / 28.6 / 64.3 / 100
Q/Nek / 0.0 / 7.1 / 0.0 / 28.6 / 64.3 / 100
Quthing / 0.0 / 17.6 / 17.6 / 23.5 / 41.2 / 100
M/Hoek / 0.0 / 0.0 / 7.1 / 50.0 / 42.9 / 100
Mafeteng / 0.0 / 8.7 / 13.0 / 50.0 / 28.3 / 100
Total / 1.8 / 10.8 / 14.7 / 43.0 / 29.7 / 100

Apart from Central, Berea, Leribe and Butha-Buthe Correctional Institutions, no other Correctional Institution had reported offenders with university education who had committed other offences. Of these four, Leribe Correctional Institution reported the highest proportion of offenders (8.3 percent) who committed other offences and had attained university level of education.

1.10OFFENDERS HOSPITALISED AND THOSE WHO DIED

Table 1.6: Daily average reporting sick, hospitalised and those who died by Correctional Institutions, fourth quarter, 2003
Correctional
Institutions
/ Daily Average
Reporting Sick / Admissions to
Hospital / Deaths
Central
Juvenile
Female
Berea
Leribe
Butha-Buthe
Mokhotlong
Thaba-Tseka
Q/Nek
Quthing
M/Hoek
Mafeteng / 1.6 / 3.2 / 3.4
4.3 / 0.0 / 0.0
3.9 / 15.2 / 0.0
2.5 / 0.0 / 0.0
2.2 / 2.5 / 0.4
2.1 / 1.3 / 0.7
2.7 / 5.4 / 1.4
1.0 / 0.5 / 0.0
1.7 / 2.4 / 1.2
3.5 / 1.2 / 0.0
6.5 / 1.2 / 0.0
2.1 / 1.3 / 1.3
Total / 2.4 / 2.0 / 1.1

Out of all persons received in Correctional Institutions in the fourth quarter of 2003, only 2 percent and 1.1 percent were hospitalised and died respectively while in custody. The total daily average of detainees reporting sick in all Correctional Institutions was 2.4 percent; and Mohale’s Hoek Correctional Institution had the highest percentage (6.5 percent) of its offenders reporting sick daily; while Thaba-Tseka reported the lowest percentage (1.0 percent) of offenders reporting sick. None of the offenders in JTC and Berea Correctional Institutions who had reported sick were admitted in hospital. Those in Female Correctional Institution had the highest proportion (15.2 percent) of admissions to hospital. There were no deaths from JTC, Female, Berea, Thaba-Tseka, Quthing and Mohale’s Hoek Correctional Institutions during this quarter, most offenders (3.4 percent) died from the Central Correctional Institution as illustrated by Table 1.6, and 1.3 percent died in Mafeteng Correctional Institution.

1.11OFFENCE AND USUAL PLACE OF RESIDENCE

As portrayed by Figure 1.5, which shows the percentage distribution of offenders by usual place of residence and type of offence, the majority of offenders of all the three types of offences were from Maseru district. Apart from Maseru, the district that was resident to most offenders who had committed an offence against person was Berea (14.6 percent) while Thaba-Tseka contributed the lowest percentage (0.2 percent) of offenders of this nature. With the exception of Maseru, the district with most offenders who had committed offence against property was Leribe (17.9 percent); while Thaba-Tseka had no offenders of this type. The second highest contributor to other offences was Mafeteng (15.8 percent) while the lowest was Thaba-Tseka with just about 0.4 percent.

1.12DETAINEES IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND NATURE OF OFFENCE

Table 1.7: Percentage Distribution of Detainees by Nature of Offence, Fourth Quarter, 2003
Nature of Offence /
Percentage
Murder
/ 15.6
Culpable Homicide / 0.5
Sexual Offences / 12.2
Infanticide / 0.5
Offence Against Person / 16.3
Malicious Injury to Property / 2.0
Stock Theft / 8.3
Robbery / 6.3
House Breaking & Theft / 20.8
Drugs Proclamation / 1.3
Internal Security / 3.9
Car Theft / 3.5
RTA
Other Offences / 1.4
7.4
Total / 100

Generally, among all the natures of offences that the detainees had committed, house breaking and theft were the most prevalent (20.8 percent), then followed by offence against person with 16.3 percent of all offences committed and murder with 15.6 percent. The least popular offence was infanticide. This is probably because women who also constitute the least proportion of offenders are the ones who mostly commit infanticide. See Table 1.7.

1.13LENGTH OF SENTENCE IN MONTHS

Table 1.8: Percentage Distribution of Convicts by Length of Sentence in Months, Fourth Quarter, 2003
Length of Sentence / Convicts / Percentage
18 Months & Over / 262 / 61.8
12 Months & less than 18 / 62 / 14.6
6 Months & less than 12 / 48 / 11.3
3 Months & less than 6 / 43 / 10.1
1 Months & less than 3 / 9 / 2.1
Less than 1 Month / 0 / 0.0
Total / 424 / 100.0

Table 1.8 shows the percentage distribution of convicts by length of sentence in months. Out of the 424 offenders who where convicted during the fourth quarter 2003, none of them were given the death sentence. The majority of those offenders (61.8 percent) received had a sentence of 18 months and above; followed by those who received a sentence of between 12 months and 18 months who constituted 14.6 percent of all offences. The number of convicts seemed to increase with the length of sentence.

1.14CORPORAL PUNISHMENT AND TYPE OF OFFENCE

Table 1.9 displays the number of offenders who were given corporal punishment by type of offence. Out of the 75 offenders who received corporal punishment, only 4 percent were adults and the rest were juveniles. There were no juveniles punished for other offences while most of them (97.1 percent) got punishment for house breaking and theft. The adults who received corporal punishment had committed sexual offences, house breaking and theft, and other offences (1 person for each of the mentioned offences).

Table 1.9: Corporal Punishment by Type of Offence, Fourth Quarter, 2003
Type of Offence / Adults / Percent / Juvenile / Percent
Assault / 0 / 0.0 / 14 / 100
Sexual Offences / 1 / 9.1 / 10 / 90.9
Stock Theft / 0 / 0.0 / 1 / 100.0
House Breaking & Theft
/ 1 / 2.9 / 34 / 97.1
Car theft / 0 / 0.0 / 2 / 100.0
Malicious damage to property / 0 / 0.0 / 1 / 100.0
Dagga / 0 / 0.0 / 5 / 100.0
Culpable Homicide / 0 / 0.0 / 1 / 100.0
Internal security / 0 / 0.0 / 3 / 100.0
RTA / 0 / 0.0 / 1 / 100.0
Other offences / 1 / 100.0 / 0 / 0.0
Grand Total / 3 / 4.0 / 72 / 96.0

1.15RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS AND SEX

Figure 1.6 illustrates the percentage distribution of offenders by religious denominations and sex. Males of the Roman Catholic Church constituted the majority (about 45 percent) of offenders while the minority were females of the non-Christian community (0.1 percent). Most females were also from the Roman Catholic Church and the least (2.4 percent) of male offenders were also Non-Christians. This is probably because the Roman Catholic Church is the most popular religious denominations in Lesotho while the Non-Christian community are the minority in the country.