Thousands of Cape convicts set for road trips

Prisoners are unhappy at being moved further away from their families as often they could not afford the travel expense to visit them. File photo: Believe Nyakudjara

Prisoners are unhappy at being moved further away from their families as often they could not afford the travel expense to visit them. File photo: Believe Nyakudjara

Published Jan 29, 2017

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Cape Town - Thousands of convicted prisoners will be transferred from Western Cape prisons to facilities in other provinces to free space for awaiting trial prisoners.

The transfer of 2 500 convicts is set to take place from next week. This follows a Western Cape High Court ruling compelling prison authorities to reduce overcrowding.

The capacity at Pollsmoor Prison was 3900, but yesterday the actual population was 8000, a spokesman said.

“This is because courts such as Bellville, Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain and Blue Downs refer offenders and inmates to facilities such as Pollsmoor.

"Pollsmoor has to comply with court rulings or risk being in contempt of court,” said Simphiwe Xako, Correctional Services regional spokesman.

The plan was to transfer the majority of the sentenced offenders in February and March to free bed space for awaiting trial prisoners.

“When this process is completed, by the end of June, a total of 2500 remand detainees will have been moved from Pollsmoor, Goodwood and Malmesbury (prisons),” he said.

Freddie Engelbrecht, acting regional commissioner for Correctional Services, said last month that prisoners were unhappy at being moved further away from their families as often they could not afford the travel expense to visit them.

"They are taking it very badly. No one wants to be transferred," he was quoted as saying.

Weekend Argus

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