Najwa Petersen has been denied bail twice by the courts and while on trial for the murder of her husband she will remain in custody. What does a normal day look like in one of South Africa’s prisons? Do they still sew mailbags? What’s on the menu? What sort of exercise possibilities are there? What are the chances of getting a single cell?
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At her second bail hearing, presided over by Western Cape Regional Court President Robert Henney, it was recommended that she be moved from the Breederivier Prison at Worcester to one closer to her home. That doesn't change the fact that while on trial Najwa is getting a taste of what prison life would be like.
Horror stories abound about prison gangs, rape, warders who turn a blind eye and desperate overcrowding. Especially in the prisons for men.
But prison routines and activities vary for different categories of prisoners, and depending on factors such as the number of staff on duty, whether it’s during the week or the weekend, how many prisoners there are and so on.
According to the books, this is what a day in prison is supposed to look like:
Wake-up call
At seven o’ clock cell doors open and warders do the first roll-call for the day. By that time prisoners are supposed to have washed, dressed themselves and cleaned their cells.
There is no smell of bacon and eggs as inmates are marched to breakfast. They are greeted with a spread of porridge and coffee or juice.
The next meal will be served at 11 o’ clock. Lunch consists of a form of meat or protein, a starch and a vegetable.
Daily activities
All inmates are required to attend programmes aimed at rehabilitation. There is an emphasis on sports activities and education and training. However, this tends to be largely theoretical.
While inmates may also be obliged to work, fewer than 10% have this opportunity. And while it is required that inmates have at least one hour of exercise per day, this might not happen when there is a shortage of staff.
Prisons for women are less crowded and better managed than those for men, simply because there are fewer female prisoners. Female prisons also provide more work opportunities.
Single cell?
Most prisons have single and communal cells. A double cell is rare. Some prisons have triple cells. Communal cells house anything from 24 to 80 prisoners.
Inmates can apply to be assigned to a single cell. Factors such as whether you are studying and whether you might be in danger from the other prisoners are taken into consideration. Most prisoners land in a communal cell.
Visits
Visitation for sentenced inmates depends on the category in which they are classified. Visits can be limited to twice per month for twenty minutes. Some of these visits can also be exchanged for telephone calls. Access to incoming and outgoing post is unlimited, but it is subject to censorship.
Healthcare
Access to healthcare is severely limited. In most cases healthcare officials are not available. District surgeons are sometimes only available once a week.
Prison staff members generally don't have the capacity to administer drugs to inmates.
Another recurring problem is that medication has often reached its expiry date. In fact, access to healthcare is purely theoretical in most instances.
Lock-up
At 3 o’clock inmates have their last meal of the day. The menu for supper varies – mostly it consists of six slices of bread and a beverage of some sort. Inmates are escorted back to their cells to finish their meals there.
The last roll call for the day is done and inmates are then locked up. For the remainder of the day and night inmates are left to their own devices.
(Source: Information from DA spokesperson for Correctional Services, James Selfe. Several attempts to contact government spokespeople for Correctional Services failed.)
(Leandra Engelbrecht, Health24, updated April 2008)
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