By Johnathan Paoli
All eyes will be on Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Facility this week as South Africa hosts a National Parole Review Summit from 22–23 September.
The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) says the event is not just another policy gathering, but a decisive step toward overhauling a parole system often accused of being inconsistent, opaque, and out of touch with community needs.
Spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo confirmed that the summit is expected to be a landmark moment in the country’s criminal justice calendar, bringing together policymakers, legal experts, community leaders, victims of crime, and even former offenders under one roof.
The mix of voices, many with deeply personal experiences, is designed to ensure that parole reform is shaped not just by theory but by lived reality.
“This is about trust; for too long, parole decisions have been met with suspicion, whether from communities who feel unsafe or from offenders who feel unheard. We want a system that protects society, honours victims, and gives genuine rehabilitation a chance,” Nxumalo said.
Parole in South Africa has long been a lightning rod for debate.
High-profile cases involving violent offenders released early, sometimes only to reoffend, have shaken public confidence.
At the same time, overcrowded prisons and allegations of unfair treatment have raised urgent questions about whether the system serves justice or undermines it.
The summit is positioned as a reset button — an attempt to balance accountability with rehabilitation, security with second chances.
By convening experts, practitioners, and ordinary citizens, the DCS hopes to move beyond criticism toward practical reform.
Victims of crime will speak to the impact of parole decisions on their lives, while ex-offenders will share stories of rehabilitation, relapse, and reintegration struggles.
Criminal justice experts are expected to weigh in on international best practice, data-driven models of rehabilitation, and the psychological dimensions of offender reintegration.
Civil society groups, meanwhile, will push for greater transparency and accountability in decision-making.
Crucially, the department insists that this summit will not be a “talk shop”.
Outcomes from the two-day event will feed into national policy and legislative processes, with a view to tightening loopholes and building consistency in parole decisions.
The department has made clear that restoring public trust is at the heart of the summit.
That means addressing the dual perception that dangerous criminals are released too soon, while deserving offenders are left languishing without clarity or hope.
Kgosi Mampuru II, one of the country’s most notorious correctional facilities, provides a stark backdrop for the summit.
The setting highlights both the urgency and the stakes: parole reform is not abstract—it plays out daily inside prison walls and on South Africa’s streets.
The National Parole Review Summit takes place until Tuesday, starting at 09h00 at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Facility, Tshwane tomorrow.
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