NCJ Number
131806
Date Published
1991
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This discussion of the prison system in South Africa emphasizes the operation and conditions of the Helderstroom prison complex, one of 16 prison farms in the system.
Abstract
Imprisonment is a central element in the system of social control in South Africa, with high rates of incarcerative sentences and extensive use of detention without trial. The 206 prisons range from small local jails to large prisons with more than 3,000 inmates. Helderstroom is clean and has adequate food, but is extremely overcrowded. Inmates' basic physical needs are met, but work is mainly unskilled, and rehabilitative programming is almost nonexistent. Inmate gangs are common. The basic problem is a lack of resources, and even detention under humane conditions will become impossible if the prison population continues to increase. Notes and 5 references