Offender Reintegration in South Africa during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Criminological Perspective
Ernest Ramokone Lekalakala 
& Kholofelo Annah Rakubu
Issue: Vol.6 No.8 Article 30 pp.1691 – 1700
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256830 | Published online 29th July, 2025
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The former Minister of Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, announced the early release of 19,000 inmates on parole as a measure to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic within South African correctional facilities. This decision aimed to reduce overcrowding, which posed a significant challenge to implementing preventative measures such as social distancing among inmates and staff. Low-risk offenders were prioritised for release to ensure compliance with lockdown regulations. Consequently, communities were deprived of the opportunity to deliberate on the reintegration of released offenders. Drawing on criminological theories and qualitative data collected from 30 purposefully selected participants—including 15 released offenders (10 males and 05 females), 10 community leaders, and 05 personnel from the Department of Correctional Services—this study examined the ramifications of early inmate release, focusing on community rejection and its potential to exacerbate recidivism rates. The study argued that the rejection experienced by prematurely released offenders may result in frustration, heightening the likelihood of re-offending. Furthermore, it is posited that post-pandemic South Africa may witness an increase in crime rates, with this research exploring the nature of offences likely to be committed by rejected parolees. The findings contribute to criminological scholarship by offering empirical insights into the socio-economic and psychological challenges faced by parolees post-early release. Additionally, the study advanced discussions on correctional policy by highlighting the necessity of community engagement in offender reintegration to mitigate recidivism. The study’s findings have implications for both policymakers and practitioners, highlighting the importance of structured post-release support systems to facilitate successful reintegration.
Keywords: Offender Reintegration, Parole, Recidivism, Community Rejection, Criminology, COVID-19 Pandemic.
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Ernest Ramokone Lekalakala is a Lecturer in Law, Safety and Security Management at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), based in Pretoria, South Africa. He holds a PhD in Criminal Justice from the University of South Africa (UNISA), where his research focused on a penological analysis of the Judicial Inspectorate of Prisons. His scholarly interests include correctional services administration, penology, recidivism, and forensic investigations. He has extensive experience in higher education, specializing in curriculum development, academic administration, and research dissemination. He also serves as Vice-Chairperson of the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board in the Department of Correctional Services, leveraging his expertise in rehabilitation, policy formulation, and criminal justice systems. His professional background spans multiple roles in the public and private sectors, including security management and corrections. He is a dedicated educator and researcher who actively contributes to academic and community initiatives while conducting research on safety and security management, rehabilitation, and criminal justice reform.
Prof. Kholofelo Rakubu is attached to Tshwane University of Technology in the Department of Law, Safety and Security Management as Head of Department and Faculty Research Ethics Chairperson. With 20 years teaching experience at institution of higher learning, Prof Rakubu is also a criminologist who is a member of CRIMSA, served as a Secretary for Criminological Society of Africa (CRIMSA 2018-2020) and further served as a board member for CRIMSA (2021-2023). Prof Rakubu was an editorial board member for both Acta Criminologica: African Journal of Criminology and Victimology and the Southern African Journal of Security. Since 2015 to date, Prof Rakubu serves as a reviewer and convener for Doctoral Applications and training for the National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS). Published book chapters, and further published on local government and crime, substance abuse, organised crime, domestic violence, crime prevention, community policing, victimology, municipal safety, school safety, cybercrime, vigilantism and policy analysis.
Lekalakala, Ernest Ramokone, and Kholofelo Annah Rakubu. “Offender Reintegration in South Africa during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Criminological Perspective.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 6, no. 8 (2025): 1691–1700. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256830.
© 2025 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
