Department of Corrections Management

Prof M Ovens

College of Law
School of Criminal Justice
Department: Corrections Management
Professor
Tel:
012 433 9505
E-mail:
ovensm@unisa.ac.za

Qualifications

  • DLitt et Phil (PENOLOGY)
  • MA (CRIM)
  • HON (CRIM)
  • HON (PSYCH)
  • BA
  • GR Certificate: Technology in Distance Education (UMUC)

Currently teaching

  • Social dimensions of corrections
  • Research philosophy

Fields of academic interests

  • Substance abuse
  • Child abuse
  • Forensic criminology

Field of Specialisation

  • Corrections
  • Penology
  • Criminology

Books

  • 2017 A historical perspective of the youth offender, 13-25, Child and youth misbehaviour in South Africa, Bezuidenhout, C. & Joubert, S. (eds).  Pretoria: Van Schaik.
  • 2013 A historical perspective of the youth offender, 13-25, Child and youth misbehaviour in South Africa: A Holistic Approach. Bezuidenhout, C.   Pretoria: Van Schaik.
  • 2011 Forensic criminology in South Africa, 380-399, A Southern African perspective on fundamental criminology, Bezuidenhout, C. (ed).  Cape Town: Pearson education.
  • 2008 A historical perspective of the youth offender, 13-25, Child and youth misbehaviour in South Africa, Bezuidenhout, C. & Joubert, S. (eds).  Pretoria: Van Schaik.

Paper presentations

  • 1993. The effect of drugs on the family:  DEPT PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION:  '94-Conference: Healthy Family Life
  • 1993. The role of drugs in the abusive family:  GESINSADVOKAAT: '94-seminaar.
  • 1993. The decriminalisation of prostitution : a penological perspective:  Gauteng Provincial Government: Safety and Security Seminar : Decriminalisation of sexwork
  • 1993. Drug awareness:  The role of the community in crime prevention.
  • 1993. Extent of the  drug problem and drug awareness:  Pretoria Technikon: Guest lecturer
  • 1993. Rehabilitation in prisons (1): Kroonstad Training College: Rehabilitation in Prisons
  • 1993. Facilitation in prisons (2): Kroonstad Training College: Rehabilitation in Prisons
  • 1993. Drugs and drug use in Pretoria schools:  Drug Symposium (Phase 9) presented by the South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (SACENDU)
  • 1993. Being involved in youth work in prison and drug rehabilitation of juveniles in prison: Ministering to the Youth in Prison presented by the CB Powell Bible Centre, Unisa in cooperation with Tshepo Network, a Radio Pulpit Community Building Initiative
  • 1996. Penological perspective on overcrowding in prisons: Practical Solutions.  Lawyers for Human Rights: Workshop on Overcrowding in Prisons
  • 1996. The role of drugs in violent crime:  CRIMSA/IDASA Conference '96:  Crime and Justice in the '90s
  • 2000. Assisting victims of crime and offenders with the South African Criminal Justice System: 10th International Conference on Victimology
  • 2000. Drug awareness and prevention:  Workshop on School Safety Project  (in conjunction with Department of Education and Institute for Criminological Studies)
  • 2000. Practical implementation of the multidimensional management model for the handling of the drug offender:  International Conference on Drugs, Aids and Poverty in South Africa
  • 2003. Findings on the Drug Survey conducted in 2000:  Gauteng Education Department/Tshwane : School Safety Project: Drugs in Schools
  • 2003. The relevance of drug related research:  Suid-Afrikaanse Polisie: Navorsingskonferensie
  • 2005. Role of the Criminologist in the Criminal Justice System: A New Decade of Criminal Justice in South Africa- Consolidating Transformation, presented by the CSVR.
  • 2006. International Conference.  A criminological perspective on the prenatal abuse of substances during pregnancy and the link to child abuse in South Africa. 6th European Criminological Conference in Tubingen, Germany, 26-29 August 2006.
  • 2007. Criminological and Victimological Society of Southern Africa's 2007 Conference entitled "Perspectives on Crime and Criminal Justice in Africa" for the best Criminological Paper 
  • 2009. Criminological and Victimological Society of Southern Africa's 2009 Conference The significance of “Africanness” on the development of contemporary criminological propositions and the implications for criminological research
  • 2009. University of the United Arab Emirates, guest speaker at the Criminal Justice Practitioner Symposium: Assessment, profiling and rehabilitation of offenders
  • 2009. The significance of “Africanness” on the development of contemporary criminological propositions Inaugural lecture 18 August 2009
  • 2010. USA Practical implications for the handling of the drug offender within South African correctional facilities. Midwestern Criminal Justice Association 2010 Annual Conference, 22-25 September 2010, Chicago, (IL) USA
  • 2013. Heltasa conference attended and presented papers, Jonker and Ovens: The development of a fully online interdisciplinary module within the college of law- an interdisciplinary approach
  • 2014. Annual MCJA Conference:“Research into practice: Translating empirical findings into real world action” 25-28 September, Chicago, Illinois.
  • 2015. Growing capacities for sustainable distance e-learning provision,  26th ICDE World Conference, University of South Africa, Sun City, South Africa, 14- 1 6 October 2015. Theory of connectivism and its application in distance education:  A case study of the College of Law Signature module, Prof M Ovens, Department of Corrections, College of Law, UNISA, Dr P Muthapuli, Department of Corrections, College of Law, UNISA, Mrs D Jonker, Department of Corrections, College of Law, UNISA
  • 2015. CRIMSA BIENNIAL CONFERENCE 2015: VENUE: Zevenwacht, Cape Town, South Africa, 21 to 23 September 2015, Harmful Cultural Practices In SA, Prof Johan Prinsloo and Prof Michelle Ovens (UNISA) (Presenters: Prinsloo And Ovens)
  • 2015 Southern Criminal Justice Association 2015l Conference, 9-12 September 2015, Charleston, SC, USA, Ukuthwala as a harmful cultural practice in South Africa
  • 2017. International Journal of Arts and Sciences' American Canadian conference in Canada.  5 to 8 June 2017 at Ryerson University's International Learning Center at 240 Jarvis Street, Toronto, An autoethnographical account of the youthzone’s project based within vulnerable, informal settlements in SA.
  • 2017. International Journal of Arts and Sciences' American Canadian conference in Canada.  28 Montreal, 5 to 8 June 2017 at Ryerson University's International Learning Center at 240 Jarvis Street, Toronto, Maternal substance abuse.