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Paralympian Pistorius transferred to correctional centre

Xinhua, November 14, 2016 Adjust font size:

Paralympian Oscar Pistorius has been transferred from a detention centre to a correctional centre, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) confirmed on Monday.

The move came after a very careful consideration of all important factors, that the management decided that the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre near Pretoria was the best place to accommodate Pistorius, the department said.

The correctional centre is used to accommodate offenders sentenced from 0-6 years and has rehabilitation and development programmes in place for all offenders in its care, according to the department.

Since his incarceration, Pistorius was placed at the Remand Detention Centre which is used to accommodate awaiting trials and sentenced offenders who need full time hospitalisation or health care.

This was done in order to accommodate his disability needs.

"However, the Remand Detention Centre does not have rehabilitation and development programmes necessary for sentenced offenders as it is strictly designed for awaiting trial detainees," the department said.

The Atteridgeville Correctional Centre has been upgraded to accommodate disabled offenders, according to the department.

The move will enable Pistorius to engage in departmental rehabilitation programmes which are tailored according to the offenders' needs and length of his sentence, the department said.

These programmes are key in terms of rehabilitating the offending behaviour and do play a crucial role when one is considered for parole placement, said the department.

Pistorius' transfer was purely due to his application which was lawfully and procedurally considered and approved with disability, the department said.

In July this year, the High Court in Pretoria handed down a six-year sentence to Pistorius for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, nine years less than the mandatory guideline.

The Paralympic sprinter was convicted of murdering Steenkamp at his Pretoria home on Feb. 14, 2013. Pistorius insisted in trial that he mistook her as an intruder and his life was in danger when he fired at the door of the bathroom. Endit