It’s a hard-knock prison life
LEEUWKOP- FOOTAGE of two of the 'Waterkloof four' consuming alcohol and having a party while in prison has raised the question of what prison life is really like.
Fourways has its very own prison complex in the form of Leeuwkop Prison – while this fortress is in the heart of the suburb not many know what life is really like for Leeuwkop prisoners.
Deputy CEO of the National Institution for Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders, Celia Dawson, said the recent return to prison of two of the ‘Waterkloof four’ who were jailed for beating a homeless man to death in 2001, has not only led to criticism regarding the behaviour of the individuals concerned but also concern among members of the public regarding the so-called ‘good’ and ‘comfortable’ conditions in South African prisons.
Dawson said that this is a misreading of the current situation as conditions in prison for the majority of inmates are at best stark and miserable with nothing akin to comfort, with overcrowding and poor sanitation being rife.
Dawson explained that the comfortable and well-resourced conditions in the ‘Waterkloof two’ video are certainly not the norm for the vast majority of prisoners but such conditions are available for certain classes of inmates, such as those who have access to money and are able to bribe corruptible prison staff.
“Not only must the ‘Waterkloof two’ be sanctioned, if indeed an investigation finds them guilty of contravening prison regulations, but even more so must the Correctional Services staff who made this all possible, face the stiffest of penalties for undermining justice and bringing our corrections system into disrepute,” Dawson said.
“The case of the ‘Waterkloof two’ sets back the cause of public support for rehabilitation by decades, as it reinforces a myth among the South African public that prison conditions are soft and cushy and should be replaced by hard labour and slave conditions,” she added.
