E-tags to keep abusers leashed

Victims of domestic violence have a new weapon with which to fight back with the launch of a prisoner e-tagging monitoring system.

The GPS device, which has a solar charger, keeps Correctional Service aware of the movements of parolees and remand prisoners.

It also acts as a cellphone, enabling officials to contact the prisoner.

Victims of domestic violence can be given a receiver that alerts them when the perpetrator comes within a set distance of them.

The device acts as a panic button that can be used to alert officials of impending danger.

Minister of Correctional Services Sbu Ndebele said yesterday that the device will help in monitoring repeat offenders.

The device will enable the police to know whether a tagged prisoner was near the scene of a crime.

"Say the domestic violence perpetrator starts drinking and becomes violent, the partner could just press a button so that help could be dispatched before anything happens," he said.

But People Opposing Women Abuse executive director Nhlanhla Mokwena said the system would be useless until the problem of police response time was dealt with.

"The police take up to four hours to respond - that would be too late for the victim," she said. The latest statistics show that about three women a day are killed by their partners and in most cases a protection order has been violated.

One of the high-profile prisoners on whom the e-tag has been used is Hard Livings gang leader Rashied Staggie.

He was sentenced to 13 years for rape and kidnapping in 2003.

Staggie has served 11 years and was released on day-parole in September.

Ndebele said Staggie wore the device to allow Correctional Services to monitor his movements .

Staggie works with the Rev Ivan Waldeck, of Holy Nation of God Ministries, rehabilitating gangsters and drug addicts.

Through the device, Ndebele was able to locate Staggie exactly on a digital map displayed on a screen at the department's 24-hour control room in Pretoria.

Staggie's location indicator indicated that he was within his restricted zone.

Had he moved beyond the zone, a signal would have been sent to the control room by the e-tag, resulting in him being sent back to prison.

Tampering with the gadget sends an alert to the control room.

Ndebele said the department had implemented an 18-month e-tag pilot phase, which cost it R9-million. The device had been tested on 150 parolees and remand inmates.

From February the system will be used to monitor 500 offenders at a cost of R18-million.

Ndebele said the system will cost the department R3379 per offender per month, a saving of R6500 a month.

"The system allows for offenders to be effectively and safely re-integrated into communities. It also enables the offender to be employed or to study."

The department said that, of 67760 offenders under community correction, 48872 were parolees.