Prisoners help cut cost of feeding Modderbee inmates

With just four hectares of land to farm, inmates at Modderbee Correctional Services have utilised the space to plant cabbage, carrots, beetroot, green beans, spinach and pumpkin.

Some 6 offenders, who work at the prison farm from morning until noon, have committed themselves to the growth of the farm and the enhancement of their skills.

Agricultural production at Modderbee Correctional Services is one of the priority skills imparted to offenders and it has saved the department a lot of money.

The Minister of Correctional Services Ronald Lamola recently told parliament during his budget vote speech that the department has adopted an innovative way to save costs by allowing inmates to grow their own as part of a self-sufficiency strategy that includes restorative justice components.

Lamola shared that, as a result, vegetable costs have been significantly reduced in the department.

“Eight management areas out of 48 are no longer buying cabbage, spinach, beetroot and onions. They produce enough supply for inmate rations.

“We will increase the number of management areas in the current financial year.

“Five management areas, namely, Goedemoed (Free State), Kirkwood (Eastern Cape), Rooigrond (North West), Waterval (KwaZulu-Natal) and Zonderwater (Gauteng), are now fully sustainable on red meat, while Drakenstein (Western Cape) and Zonderwater are also no longer procuring chicken,” said the minister.

Lamola said the estimated cost savings as a result of implementing self-sufficiency initiatives in the department amount to R163m.

The City Times spoke to one of the inmates involved in the farm at Modderbee, Tshepo Monareng, and he said his love for farming started at a young age.

“I’ve always had interested in farming because it is important when it comes to food security and it also reduces costs.

“Before I was incarcerated I was studying towards a degree in agriculture at UNISA in the Free State,” he said.

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