a) Increase the budget allocation to prisons to ensure that prison officials are properly remunerated and motivated to work. The kind of services they provide require their complete mental faculty, otherwise they become demoralised and ineffective. Staff is of paramount importance in accomplishing the goals of any correctional agency. They will make their optimum contribution if supported by effective personnel development opportunities and positive working conditions. Staff should have the opportunity to participate in the formulation of policies related to both programs and administration. Staff organizations should be involved in furthering this process and correctional agencies must be accountable. They should be subject to regular, independent and public assessment. Allocations should also be made to improve conditions in those prisons like Stanger and employ more personnel in the social and health sectors in prisons. Provisions should also be made for the acquisition of more equipment for skills development and recreational facilities. b) Ensure that prisons are regularly inspected by government officials such as the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners of Prison and at quarterly intervals by authorities from the Department, namely, Director General, Deputy Minister and the Minister. The Heads of Prison, the Deputy Commissioners and even the Commissioner may be immune to the complaints they receive almost everyday and become accustomed to them such that they refer to them as the “usual complaints”. To a lesser extent, the IPVs can suffer the same fate. Prisoners may be reluctant to speak to IPVs and even the Deputy Commissioners because they are under the impression that they will not or cannot do anything. But a visit from a high ranking official such as the Director General or the Deputy Minister or Minister will afford the prisoners an opportunity to speak frankly. c) Expand the training of prison staff to include top prison officials – from the Commissioner to the warders. This training should include basic human rights, international norms on the treatment of offenders etc. d) Explore the possibility of encouraging small claims courts or courts for petty crimes. Alternative sentences to incarceration such as community service should also be explored and encouraged. This will go a long way to decongest the prisons and not disrupt the social life of those who commit minor offences. The building of new prisons might reduce the problem of overcrowding. However, without a simultaneous process of dealing with the causes of crime, the sentencing regime and a favourable community support, overcrowding in prisons would be hard to contain. e) Take steps to ensure that expectant and nursing mothers, including elderly people of more than seventy years should not be sent to prison. In the case of the latter category, they can be put under community corrections, while expectant and nursing mothers should be restrained from leaving the country or province for a certain period of time until the child reaches a certain age that the mother can be separated from the child. 64