Oscar Pistorius to be Released under Correctional Supervision on Tuesday

Oscar Pistorius is to be released under correctional supervision on Tuesday.

In a media statement today, the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Supervision and Parole Board (CSPB) said they had “approved the placement of offender Oscar Pistorius under correctional supervision as from 20 October 2015.”

The former Olympian has been held at Kogosi Mampuru II since he received a five-year sentence in October last year for shooting his then girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead on Valentine’s Day 2013. (The day after he is released would have been the first anniversary of when he began his sentence.)

Oscar’s good behaviour as well as overcrowded prisons are believed to have contributed to this decision. The statement said the parole board had “considered all submissions, including the offender’s profile report, the directives of the Parole Review Board and the submission of the victim’s family.”

According to the statement CSPB says: “Upon careful consideration of the facts placed before the Parole Board…the Parole Board decided to place Mr Oscar Pistorius under correctional supervision as from 2015/10/20 until 2019/10/20.”

The Parole Board has also given Pistorius his correctional supervision conditions which include “continued psychotherapy and prohibitions in line with the Fire Arms Control Act Section 103.”

This means he will not be able to use a gun or drink alcohol.

A premature decision to release Pistorius in August was blocked and suspended at the last minute to allow the Parole Review Board to meet and review the decision, which is what has now occurred.

It is reported that Pistorius will move back into his uncle Arnold’s house in Waterkloof, Pretoria (where he stayed prior to being incarcerated). He is set to live under “virtual house arrest” – only able to leave the house for work or occasional errands. He may be eligible for an electronic tag or will need to check in with a parole officer regularly.

The Pistorius family will not be releasing a statement. A spokesman for the family simply confirmed they had received the information.

The Steenkamp’s family attorney, Tania Koen, said she had received confirmation via a phonecall from correctional services this morning. According to reports she said that Reeva’s parents, Barry and June, will not be commenting as to “whether Mr Pistorius remains incarcerated or whether he is released, Reeva isn’t coming back so it doesn’t make a difference to them.”

Comments on Twitter, where the news is trending, range from surprised to angry, with some lamenting the effect this may have on the struggle in South Africa to reduce domestic abuse.

Oscar’s aunt Lois Pistorius tweeted: “In real life, it’s a life sentence.”