Correctional supervision became a topic of research as an attempt to address the problem of over population in prisons by introducing sentences that could be dealt with within the community

Correctional supervision became a topic of research as an attempt to address the problem of over population in prisons by introducing sentences that could be dealt with within the community. To gain the necessary knowledge regarding correctional supervision the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services went overseas in 1990 to conduct research. This lead to the knowledge of how correctional supervision was implemented in other countries and how we can apply it in a South African context. This form of punishment was then first considered on the 14th of June 1991 when our Parliament approved the Correctional Services and Supervision Matters Act 122 of 1991 and was then initiated in South Africa on 15 August 1991. In March 1993 it was implemented countrywide to 194 offices. After 17 years of practising correctional supervision it has become clear this application involves intensive monitoring, huge amounts of time and financial resources in order for it to be successful. But over the years it has become clear that there are certain factors that hamper the successfulness of correctional supervision such as the limited skills of probation officers and limited counselling opportunities