Nicolette Dirk
THERE are 4 300 awaiting-trial prisoners held at Pollsmoor Prison in a holding cell block built to accommodate 1 619.
That was one of the startling statistics to emerge following Correctional Services Minister Advocate Michael Masutha’s visit to the prison yesterday.
Prison overcrowding was one of the main issues Masutha discussed with prison management yesterday.
The visit to Pollsmoor was part of Masutha’s first operational trip to the Western Cape, where issues like gangsterism and tuberculosis in prison were highlighted.
Pollsmoor area commissioner Ntobeko Mketshane said there was a general shortage of staff at Pollsmoor. Instead of the standard ratio of one prison guard for every 30 prisoners, Masutha said one prison guard had to take charge of 50 or more prisoners.
Mketshane said there were 4 300 awaiting-trial prisoners in a holding cell block meant for 1 619. He added that Pollsmoor has 19 949 bed spaces, but currently 28 770 prisoners share these beds.
Mketshane said TB was also one of the bigger challenges in the prison, especially because prisoners are not honest about their health status when they are arrested.
“We have now employed nurses at reception to inspect prisoners before they go to the holding cells. We also have councillors for the prisoners with TB because often it is HIV/Aids,” said Masutha.
Mketshane said the influx of gang leaders coming to prison has caused problems because they were not separated from other prisoners.
During the minister’s tour, prisoners from the crowded cells scrambled for attention, screaming through the many broken windows “fixed” with plastic bags and clothes.
Masutha also visited a cell shared by 38 prisoners to find out what life was like inside prison walls.
One of the prisoners, who had six months left of his two-year sentence, told the minister about the prison’s drama group.
Another prisoner told Masutha the first thing he wants to do once released is to ask for forgiveness from his victims.
While the prisoners said they had no complaints about sharing a small space with 38 other inmates, Masutha told them they must use their opportunities in prison to gain skills.