Our Goals
ACHIEVEMENTS
A total of 751 REALISTS have graduated from REALISTIC’s programmes since 2004. Less than 10 percent of these graduates have been convicted of a crime in the last three years. As it is widely believed by experts that the re-offending rate is above 80 percent, we view this as one of our greatest achievements and as the strongest indicator that our programmes are making a tangible difference in the lives of our REALISTS, their families and their communities.
REALISTIC has been instrumental in doing a number of successful employment placements for REALISTS.
REALISTIC has participated as a research subject in a number of international, national and local research projects in the field of offender reintegration. REALISTIC is also in the process of setting up a database to track REALISTS who have graduated from the programme. This will be made available to institutes/ organizations that are researching best practices in the field of offender reintegration.
REALISTIC IN THE MEDIA
•Breaking the Shackles of Crime (Sunday Independent, 14 September 2008).
•REALISTIC was featured in the television programme Masupatsela on SABC 2.
The documentary can be viewed at:
http://www.freerangefilms.co.za/Masupatsela2/episodes/episode11asecondchance/
•Radio interviews with radio Tygerberg, Bush radio and KFM.
FUTURE PLANS
REALISTIC’s programmes and model have been established on principles of sustainability, replication and cost-effectiveness. REALISTIC is a community-based intervention which aims to make real change within a specific community.
Our community based approach ensures that REALISTIC can be recognised within the community for the work that it is doing and so gain credibility with community members as well as future REALISTS. It also presents REALISTS with the opportunity to be recognised as roles models in their community and provides REALISTS with a support network within their own community.
Once the project is fully established and achieving the desired impact on the broader Gugulethu community, REALISTIC is planning to replicate the programme in other communities that are plagued by crime.
CAPACITY
To ensure the effective implementation of quality programmes, REALISTIC has a number of partnerships that are critical to its success:
•Partnerships with recognized service providers.
•REALIST has an established an active Board.
•Committed and passionate staff members.
•Committed funders and supporters.
•REALIST IC actively contributes in a number of networks in the field of offender reintegration.
PARTNERSHIPS
•Chrysalis Academy
•Department of Correction Services
•Department of Safety and Security
•ETrauma Centre
•Hope World Wide
•Judicial Inspectorate of Prison
•LEAP Science and Maths School
•Mitchell’s Plain Community Corrections
•Sonke Gender Justice
•Sweden University
•Teach with Africa
•University of Cape Town
•University of Konstanz in Germany
•University of Western Cape
•Western Cape Youth Rehabilitation Centre
•Wolwekloof Academy