Cape Town - Former Hard Livings gang leader Rashied Staggie has again been placed on day parole as of last week, the correctional services department said on Monday.
Staggie had secured employment in Sea Point, Cape Town, and began his day parole on Friday, spokesman Manelisi Wolela said in a statement.
He would leave Pollsmoor Prison at 6am and return at 7.30pm on working days. Staggie would continue with day parole until September 17. He would then qualify for full parole until the completion of his sentence in 2017.
Wolela said Staggie had to wear a tag to allow for his movements to be electronically monitored.
He was sentenced in 2003 to 15 years in prison for kidnapping and rape. In 2004, he received another 13 years for stealing guns from a police armoury. The sentences ran concurrently, and he served 11 years before his release on day parole in September last year.
Staggie was re-arrested in December and his day parole revoked the same month because he met members of gangs and made unauthorised visits.
The Pollsmoor correctional supervision and parole board decided to place him on day parole again in February after re-evaluating his case.
However, he had remained in custody since then as his earlier employer was disqualified following his failure to report Staggie's deviations from day parole conditions.
Wolela said hundreds of offenders were placed on day and weekend parole to help promote social re-integration before they were due for full parole placement.
“In Pollsmoor alone 21 offenders are benefiting from day parole while those with weekend leave from incarceration are 18,” he said.
He said since Correctional Services Minister Sbu Ndebele introduced electronic monitoring, compliance with parole conditions went up from 84 percent to over 90 percent between 2009 and this year.
Sapa