Prison isolates inmates_Ruth Hopkins.pdf
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City Press || 26 May 2013 11 News Su pe rf ast LTE network for faster data do wn loads. 2G/3G nationa l coverage for improved vo ice clarity. More Wi-F i hot spo ts countrywide. Introducing th e next ge nerat io n of mobile communications. Now Telkom Mobile gives you: 081 180 I telkommobile.co.za 6 2 3 1 9 / 2 / E / R Prison Prison isolates isolates inmates inmates Man ag ement at F ree St at e prison mi ght be flouti ng la ws On November 25 2005, Oupa Mabalane started what would be four years in solitary confinement. Sunlight filtered throu gh a single , tiny window in his dark cell. He was told by prison management that the isolation was for his own safety – he was apparently at risk of becoming a victim of gang violence, a legitimate reason for placing a prisoner in a single cell. But the isolation dragged on. Maba lane spent 23 hours each day in his cell, had barely any contact with other inmates and was not allowed to access newspapers or television. He was not allowed to take part in any rehabilitation programmes. “The isolation drove me insane. I was in constant mental pain and I tried to commit suicide with a razor blade in 2009.” Still, he remained in his single cell. Mabalane set fire to his cell and started holding prison staff hostage. He was transferred to Kokstad Prison on November 6 2009, to a shared cell. But then he was sent back to Mangaung Prison in March this year, and had been immediately placed in solitary confinement again. “I was detained in a single cell again for 30 days,” he said. Ishmael Mohlomi was detained in a single cell from November 22 2012 to April 22 this year. Joseph Monaise was placed in isolation for what was supposed to be seven days because of his involvement in a hostage drama at the prison last November. But, he said: “They assured me they would detain me in that cell for two years.” He threatened to burn his cell and demanded an explanation from prison management. But he says none has been offered and he has been in isolation since November 7. According to the prison’s controller, Clement Motsapi, the three had not been segregated. Instead, he said, they’d been placed under “high care”. High care is subject to the same legal restrictions as solitary confinement. – Ruth Hopkins RUTH HOPKINS [email protected] Inmates at Bloemfontein’s Mangaung Prison are being kept in solitary confinement for up to four years at a time. But the prison’ s management refuses to explain itself to the Judicial Inspector ate for Correcti onal Services, an office within the correctio nal services department run by the inspecting judge and tasked with monitoring conditions in South Africa’s prisons. And now the inspector ate has written to it, demandin g answer s about this illegal practice. A confidential 2009 government report – a copy of which City Press has seen – lists 62 cases of inmates at the prison who were detained in single cells without privileges, for periods ranging from two weeks to four years. The report also revea ls that two inmates were denied TB and HIV medication while in solitary confinement. On a recent visit to the prison, City Press discovered the practice is still continuing (see top right). Long-term solitary confinement is an unpleasant echo of the past, when political prisoners were regularly detained in single cells for years at a time. PAC leader Robert Sobukwe was detained in a solitary cell on Robben Island for nine years. Today, segregating inmates remains a common measure in South Africa’s prisons – but it is not allowed as a punishment. Instead, it can be imposed if the prisoner requests it or a medical condition means isolation is necessary . A prisoner can also be kept alone in a single cell if they are considered an escape risk, are perceived to be a threat to other inmates or it is believed they will be the targe ts of violence in a shared cell. The segregation must be reporte d to the authorit ies if it lasts longer than seven days, and inmates in solitary confinement must be visited by a medical practition er or psycholog ist every day during the isolation period. From the 2009 report, it appears that Mangaun g Prison’ s manage ment has ignored these requirements. Accordi ng to Koos Gerber, the spokespe rson for the correctional services department, “heads of correcti onal centres are obliged to comply with these prescripts and where it is not done it would, in essence, be wrong” . Mangaung Prison is run by British security firm G4S, after it signed a contract with government in 2000 to build and manage the facility . The prison opened in 2001 and houses about 3000 inmates. On April 25 this year, the inspectorate contacted the prison’s management to ask for more information about the inmates who were segregated in 2009. By law, prisons are obliged to provide this informat ion to the inspectorate. But G4S responde d abruptly, saying: “A.. . conc ern is tha t these requests are mostly signed by administrativ e personnel, which raises the question if the inspecting judge is aware or in need of the informat ion. “This further raised the concern of who is really requesting the informat ion and for what purposes the informat ion is requested for.” The reply infuriated the inspectorate, whose national manager of legal services, Umesh Raga, responded in a second letter, in which he wrote: “We are indeed flummoxed by such aspersions on the integrity of our staff and our mandate.” The prison’s controller, Clement Motsapi, is employed and instruct ed by the correctio nal services department. It is his job to monitor whether the prison complies with rules and regulations regarding detention. Inmates say it was Motsapi who approved their placement in isolation . When questioned by the inspectorate the prison’s management said this was not segregation but “high care”. But, according to the law, the inspecting judge as well as the department’ s national commissio ner must be notified of such decisions. » Hopkins is a member of the Wits Justice Project Four years in solitary The Czech capital Prague has taken speed dating to an entirely new level – the city is introducing “dating cars” on the the country’s only metro system. Starting later this year, select carriages on each of Prague’s three underground train lines will be designated “singles- friendly”, the German Spiegel Online reported this week. The average trip time on the Prague metro is five minutes, the website report ed, so it will take consi derabl e charm and excellent snap judgement for commuters in need of romance to find a prospective partner. Filip Drapal, a spoke sperso n for the city’s public transport authority, told Spiegel Online the plan was designed to show people “what activities you can do on public transport that you cannot do inside your car (like reading, studying, listening to music, playing e-games and checking emails)”. He further said: “Simultaneously, we realise there is a negative trend of more and more people being single or not married. So we would like to help these people and generally draw attention to this social phenomenon as well.” – Staff reporter 62 cases of inmates at the prison who were detained in single cells without privileges, for periods ranging from two weeks to four years Heads of correctional centres are obliged to comply with these prescripts – KOOS GERBER Love on the (train) line in Prague He who opens a school door, closes a prison – French poet Victor Hugo (1802-1885)
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Wits Justice Project senior journalist Ruth Hopkins reveals how inmates were held in solitary confinement, sometimes for extended periods, at a privately-run prison in the Free State.
Transcript of Prison isolates inmates_Ruth Hopkins.pdf
7/16/2019 Prison isolates inmates_Ruth Hopkins.pdf
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/prison-isolates-inmatesruth-hopkinspdf 1/1
City Press || 26 May 2013 11
News
Superfast LTE network for faster data downloads.
2G/3G national coverage for improved voice clarity.
MoreWi-Fi hotspots countrywide.
Introducingthe next generation
of mobile
communications.
Now Telkom Mobile gives you:
081 180 I telkommobile.co.za
6 2 3 1 9 / 2 / E / R
PrisonPrison
isolatesisolatesinmatesinmatesManagement at FreeStateprisonmight be flouting laws
On November 25 2005, Oupa Mabalane
started what would be four years in
solitary confinement. Sunlight filtered
through a single, tiny window in his
dark cell.
He was told by prison management
that the isolation was for his own
safety – he was apparently at risk of
becoming a victim of gang violence, alegitimate reason for placing a prisoner
in a single cell.
But the isolation dragged on.
Mabalane spent 23 hours each day in
his cell, had barely any contact with other
inmates and was not allowed to access
newspapers or television.
He was not allowed to take part in
any rehabilitation programmes.
“The isolation drove me insane. I
was in constant mental pain and I tried
to commit suicide with a razor blade in
2009.” Still, he remained in his single cell.
Mabalane set fire to his cell and started
holding prison staff hostage.
He was transferred to Kokstad Prison
on November 6 2009, to a shared cell.
But then he was sent back to
Mangaung Prison in March this year,
and had been immediately placed in
solitary confinement again.
“I was detained in a single cell again
for 30 days,” he said.
Ishmael Mohlomi was detained in a
single cell from November 22 2012 to
April 22 this year.
Joseph Monaise was placed inisolation for what was supposed to
be seven days because of his involvement
in a hostage drama at the prison last
November. But, he said: “They assured
me they would detain me in that cell
for two years.”
He threatened to burn his cell and
demanded an explanation from prison
management. But he says none has
been offered and he has been in
isolation since November 7.
According to the prison’s controller,
Clement Motsapi, the three had not been
segregated. Instead, he said, they’d been
placed under “high care”.
High care is subject to the same
legal restrictions as solitary confinement.
– Ruth Hopkins
RUTH HOPKINS
Inmates at Bloemfontein’sMangaung Prison are beingkept in solitary confinement forup to four years at a time.
But the prison’s managementrefuses to explain itself tothe Judicial Inspectorate forCorrectional Services, anoffice within the correctionalservices department run by theinspecting judge and taskedwith monitoring conditions inSouth Africa’s prisons.
And now the inspectorate haswritten to it, demanding answersabout this illegal practice.
A confidential 2009government report – a copy of which City Press has seen – lists62 cases of inmatesat the prison whowere detained insingle cells withoutprivileges, forperiods rangingfrom two weeksto four years.
The report alsoreveals that twoinmates were
denied TB and HIV medication whilein solitaryconfinement.
On a recent visitto the prison, CityPress discoveredthe practice is stillcontinuing (seetop right).
Long-termsolitaryconfinement isan unpleasantecho of the past,when politicalprisoners wereregularly detainedin single cells foryears at a time.PAC leader RobertSobukwe wasdetained in a solitary cell onRobben Island fornine years.
Today,segregating
inmates remains a common measurein South Africa’s prisons – but itis not allowed as a punishment.
Instead, it can be imposed if the prisonerrequests it or a medical conditionmeans isolation is necessary.
A prisoner can also be keptalone in a single cell if they areconsidered an escape risk, areperceived to be a threat to otherinmates or it is believed they will
be the targets of violence in a shared cell.
The segregation must bereported to the authoritiesif it lasts longer than sevendays, and inmates in solitaryconfinement must be visited
by a medical practitioner orpsychologist every day during
the isolation period.From the 2009 report, it
appears that Mangaung Prison’smanagement has ignored theserequirements.
According to Koos Gerber, thespokesperson for the correctionalservices department, “heads of correctional centres are obligedto comply with these prescriptsand where it is not done itwould, in essence, be wrong”.
Mangaung Prison is run byBritish security firm G4S, afterit signed a contract withgovernment in 2000 to buildand manage the facility. Theprison opened in 2001 andhouses about 3000 inmates.
On April 25 this year,the inspectorate contactedthe prison’s management to askfor more information about theinmates who were segregated
in 2009.By law, prisons
are obliged toprovide thisinformation to theinspectorate. ButG4S respondedabruptly, saying:“A.. . concern is thatthese requests aremostly signed
by administrativepersonnel, whichraises the question if the inspecting judgeis aware or in needof the information.
“This furtherraised the concernof who is reallyrequesting theinformation and forwhat purposes theinformation isrequested for.”
The replyinfuriated theinspectorate, whosenational managerof legal services,Umesh Raga,responded in a second letter, inwhich he wrote:“We are indeedflummoxed by suchaspersions on theintegrity of our staff and our mandate.”
The prison’scontroller, Clement
Motsapi, is employed andinstructed by the correctionalservices department. It ishis job to monitor whether theprison complies with rules andregulations regarding detention.
Inmates say it was Motsapiwho approved their placement inisolation. When questioned bythe inspectorate the prison’smanagement said this was notsegregation but “high care”.
But, according to the law,the inspecting judge as wellas the department’s nationalcommissioner must be notifiedof such decisions.
» Hopkins is a member of the Wits
Justice Project
Four years in solitary
The Czech capital Prague has taken
speed dating to an entirely new level
– the city is introducing “dating cars”
on the the country’s only metro system.
Starting later this year, select carriages
on each of Prague’s three underground
train lines will be designated “singles-
friendly”, the German Spiegel Online
reported this week.
The average trip time on the Prague
metro is five minutes, the website
reported, so it will take considerable
charm and excellent snap judgement
for commuters in need of romance to
find a prospective partner.
Filip Drapal, a spokesperson for the
city’s public transport authority, told
Spiegel Online the plan was designed to
show people “what activities you can do
on public transport that you cannot do
inside your car (like reading, studying,
listening to music, playing e-games and
checking emails)”.
He further said: “Simultaneously,
we realise there is a negative trend of
more and more people being single or
not married. So we would like to help
these people and generally draw
attention to this social phenomenon
as well.” – Staff reporter
62cases of inmates at the
prison who were detained
in single cells without
privileges, for periods rangingfrom two weeks to four years
‘‘Heads of correctionalcentres areobliged to
comply withthese
prescripts
– KOOS GERBER
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Love on the (train) line in Prague
‘‘He who opens a schooldoor, closes a prison– French poet Victor Hugo (1802-1885)
