Prison 'hell' exposed

2005-09-15 23:31

Elsabé Brits

Cape Town - Women lose contact with their small children, there's rape in detention before people appear in court and up to 95% of prisoners die of Aids are just some of the shocking facts revealed in an affidavit.

The facts were revealed in the Prison Care and Support Network's main statement in an urgent court application against the South African government.

Among claims in the report were:

many prisoners complained about sodomy, and many of those who were admitted to hospital had medical problems as a result of it;

sexual violence in prisons has been institutionalised with marriages between "men" and "women";

the "men" have power and status and the "women" are the vulnerable ones and are despised;

sexual violence was used to enhance somebody's male status;

as much as 90% to 95% of natural deaths in prisons were as a result of Aids;

about 80% of awaiting-trial prisoners who were held together with sentenced prisoners were robbed and raped even before they had been officially charged;

the same needles were used repeatedly to make tattoos.

more than 1 400 people, who had been found guilty, had been waiting for four years to be sentenced;

more than half of the 3 400 women in prison have lost contact with their children;

the majority of the 3 284 juveniles in prison were awaiting trial; and

some of the prisons were up to 300% overcrowded. There were 186 546 people in prison in cells designed to accommodate 113 825.

- Die Burger