Prison isolates inmates_Ruth Hopkins.pdf

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City Press || 26 May 2013 11

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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

news@citypress.co.za

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)