Advanced Diploma in Correctional and Rehabilitation Studies

Purpose

The purpose of the Advanced Diploma in Correctional and Rehabilitation Studies is to equip learners with the skills and competencies to conduct research not only on the challenges faced by the correctional system of South Africa but also on a wide range of issues in the field of correctional services in order to ensure that offenders are successfully reintegrated back into the society as law-abiding citizens and economic contributors. On completion of this qualification, learners will be able to run projects in a range of correctional and rehabilitation activities and be able to study individual and group behaviour and associated phenomena in the correctional services environment. Furthermore, learners will be able to administer community correctional policies. Once all these skills and competencies are acquired by qualifying learners, they will be able to work independently on a tactical and strategic level in a correctional services environment.

This qualification will also develop the learners analytical and research skills relevant to correctional services, with a particular focus on the wider criminal justice system. The need to introduce basic research at the undergraduate level was identified by the Department of Safety and Security Management. Many postgraduate learners struggle to plan research projects as well as conducting a decent study. These struggles are particularly evident for new Postgraduate, including those engaged in undergraduate studies. This has led to increased attention to the ethical complexities of research that interconnects with the criminal justice system practice. The qualification is targeted toward building a repertoire of conceptual, basic and practical research skills that will enable learners, once they are enrolled later at Postgraduate level, to successfully prepare for and subsequently complete independent research in the form of a dissertation or thesis.

The qualification also serves to provide learners with the basic introductory knowledge, cognitive and conceptual tools and practical techniques related to research methods within the criminal justice system. This qualification will also enable learners to progress through the professional path of correctional and rehabilitation studies.

Rationale

The Academic Advisory Committee (AAC) composed of the institution and external lecturing staff as well as correctional officials delegated by the National Commissioner of Correctional Services was established in 2011 according to the institution policy on Academic Advisory Committee. It transpired during the inaugural AAC meetings in 2011 that the institution should consider introducing this qualification which has never been part of the institution's qualifications before. This was in the light of the need to make provision for a life-long learning in this field and that the Government Department of Correctional Services was looking for learners for many years at postgraduate level, due to the sensitive nature of working with offenders and victims in their programmes which requires officials with knowledge, skills and competencies at the post graduate level.

This qualification will equip learners with knowledge, skills and competencies to conduct research, run institutional projects, study the behaviour of offenders and be able to address the challenges of a typical correctional centre posed by overcrowding and correctional centre subculture in South Africa. The Advanced Diploma in Correctional and Rehabilitation Studies will source its students from the Diploma in Correctional and Rehabilitation Studies and National Diploma: Correctional Services Management or an equivalent NQF level 6 qualification.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The institution has an RPL policy in place. Prospective learners can apply for Recognition of Prior Learning in order to be admitted in any of the qualifications it offers. This policy stipulates amongst others three types (as outlined below) of RPL application a prospective learner can make. These are deemed relevant to gain entry to this qualification and forms the basis which application for RPL will be considered.

• Equivalence: this is an application for admission to a qualification based on the fact that the applicant's existing qualification is similar to the prerequisite qualification as stated in the admission requirements for that qualification.
• RPL for advanced admission: this is an application for admission where the applicant does not meet the stated admission requirements but wishes to be admitted to an advanced qualification on the basis of RPL. As part of a rigorous assessment process the applicant would need to furnish evidence of exceptional experience, depth and scope before his/her application would be considered.
• Status-this is an application to register for a qualification when the applicant does not hold the required admission qualification or an equivalent qualification but holds another qualification on the same National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level as that of the prerequisite qualification.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• National Diploma: Correctional Services Management, National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 6, 360 Credits.

Or

• Diploma in Correctional and Rehabilitation Studies, Level 6, 360 Credits.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at Level 7 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, 120 Credits

• Correctional Services Administration IV, 30 Credits.
• Correctional Services Management IV, 30 Credits.
• Social Psychology in Corrections, 24 Credits.
• Research Methods in Corrections, 12 Credits.
• Corrections Criminology, 24 Credits.

1. Apply theoretical knowledge to address challenges faced by the correctional system of South Africa.
2. Apply management principles and concepts in a correctional environment.
3. Demonstrate theoretical knowledge of community corrections in South African context.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of criminological issues in corrections.
5. Plan, design and conduct research in the field of correctional services.
6. Apply basic social psychology principles and concepts in a correctional services environment.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Identify and explain the challenges faced by the correctional system of South Africa.
• Outline possible solutions to the challenges faced by the correctional system of South Africa.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Apply the basic principles of project management in practice within the correctional services environment.
• Analyse the current department of correctional services' strategic plan and its relevancy and application judged against the primary components of strategic management.
• Carry out the process of strategic management in practice within the correctional services environment.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Outline a historical overview of parole.
• Anayse and critique the parole system of South Africa.
• Discuss parole supervision in detail.
• Discuss correctional Supervision in detail.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Describe and assess the South African criminological issues in corrections against international standards.
• Identify and recommend gaps between the South African criminological issues and international standards for improvement.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Apply basic research skills in practice.
• Plan and design research in the field of correctional services to produce a research proposal.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Explain the behaviour, personality, attitudes and motivations of an offender as an individual.
• Discuss the behaviour, personality, attitudes and motivations of individual offender gangs.

Integrated Assessment

Integrated Assessment will be achieved by a variety of strategies. The qualification will be awarded to a learner who would have achieved the required fundamental and core modules. Evidence is also required to prove that the learner is able to completely achieve the purpose of the qualification at the time of the award of the qualification.

In order to determine whether learners have successfully achieved the stipulated outcomes and can demonstrate applied competence, an integrated approach incorporating formative and summative assessment procedure will be utilised. While Formative Assessment will include case study analysis, problem solving analysis, oral presentations and peer and self-assessments, summative assessments will be in a form of semester tests, semester assignments (including research proposal) and semester examinations. Summative Assessment calculations will be done as follows:

• One semester test will be written and one assignment will be submitted per semester for the purpose of determining predicate mark. Predicate mark, for which a student must have an average of 40% for entrance to the examination.