Prisoners could soon have their own television channel, but the focus will be more on rehabilitation than entertainment.
Negotiations are under way between the national Department of Correctional Services and local NGO the Prison Broadcasting Network (PBN) to roll out a national TV station at prisons.
The network, which ran rehabilitation programmes at Pollsmoor Prison for 12 years, had a radio, television and sound studio producing programmes by offenders, for offenders.
A few months ago, the network was told Pollsmoor would not renew its service agreement, and the network was forced to discontinue broadcasting at Pollsmoor in January.
The local area commissioner said the broadcaster’s services were no longer needed as the prison was to be converted into a remand centre for prisoners awaiting trial.
But it has been thrown a lifeline by National Commissioner for Correctional Services Tom Moyane.
In a letter, the commissioner said they would explore the continuation of the network’s radio and TV skills training development programmes.
Ministerial spokesman Sonwabo Mbananga confirmed that Moyane had even bigger plans for the broadcaster.
The department wants to explore running a TV channel partnership with the network to provide educational and entertaining programmes, emphasising rehabilitation.
The department plans to use the channel to broadcast correctional services-related news, with bulletins to the public related to the Department of Correctional Services.
Plans are also afoot for a television communications network within and across all correctional centres in the country, connected via a grid. It would provide a mass communication tool allowing for simultaneous and real-time communication with offenders and staff at correctional centres across the country.
PBN founder and CEO Marius Boaden welcomed the move. He
spoke passionately about how they were planning to run more positive programmes, which were relevant to rehabilitation.
These would take the form of, for example, “career-orientated programmes, or programmes that would encourage prisoners doing positive things while working in a prison environment”, he said.
The network had introduced the popular Jail Star show, similar to Idols but starring inmates.
“It builds relationships – for example, the judges are made up of warders and inmates, so there’s an interaction… and the broadcast of the programme is relevant because it breaks barriers, instead of that intense fear among the inmates.”
PBN had broadcast to about 20 000 prisoners at Pollsmoor, through an intercom, for nine years.
Boaden said they later trained the prisoners to become radio presenters and music producers.
The network had also launched a series called New Day – comprising three-minute inserts on inmates and warders.
A meeting is scheduled to be held between Correctional Services top brass and the network regarding the matter.
“Our primary function is not in our training, but in our ability to produce and broadcast relevant TV programmes for inmates by inmates,” Boaden said.
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