Love, selfies and cellphones behind bars: Jail cell has new meaning

Finding love in jail isn’t a crime, but taking a selfie with your lover is. Also a no-no are inmates going live on social media from their prison cells on TikTok, or leaked selfies with Krugersdorp serial killer Cecilia Steyn and Pofadder husband killer Suretha Brits in each other’s arms.

Spokesperson for the department of correctional services (DCS) Singabakho Nxumalo, says the issue of cellphones is always a problem which is why they conduct searches.

“I cannot even count the statements we have issued on this matter. We have been charging officials caught smuggling cellphones, drugs, and other forms of contraband into prison,” he said.

Nxumalo did not comment on the frequency of these searches, or if the department had a plan of action to eliminate cellphones from prisons.

Criminologist Professor Jaco Barkhuizen said it was natural for inmates to form romantic relationships in prison.

“The problem is where the cameras come from. Usually, offenders are not allowed cameras or phones inside a prison; it is not even part of good behaviour to receive a phone or a camera. It’s usually a TV or a radio,” he said.

Barkhuizen said it was worrying that photos were taken inside correctional facilities by inmates and then sent out to the public.

“A cellphone is a huge security risk, not only for other offenders but for prison staff as well. In the management of correctional facilities, you only need one corrupt official to sneak in a cellphone – that alone lessens the security measures,” he said.

Barkhuizen said offenders were supposed to be kept away from society to rehabilitate.

READ: Unspeakable horrors of South Africa’s prisons

“Having access to cellphones and the internet is wrong. Some of these offenders should not have anything internet-related. Think of those who are security risks for (providing evidence against) people convicted of certain crimes and also providing evidence against other corrupt practices,” he said.

Criminologist Dr Witness Maluleke said the department was in a disastrous state.

“It will take a miracle to restore its dented image. Overall, the South African criminal justice system (CJS) is in disarray. However, the DCS is making a lot of noise lately,” he said.

Maluleke said the irregular monitoring of inmates and the lack of consequence management was a common DCS practice and that it had limited repercussions.

“In reality, a little misconduct by DCS officials makes it to the media. What about the larger scale of grey areas, which are not featured on various platforms?

“An overhaul of the CJS is urgently needed, with DCS becoming heavily prioritised. We are now becoming a joke to the world. It’s time for new strategies to reshape the DCS,” he said.

Law expert Dr Llewelyn Curlewis said the department of justice and correctional services were not equipped to deal with the number of inmates in this country.

“From there, (look at) the ridiculous request to the president to pardon thousands of criminals to soften the burden on them. The release of so many criminals long before they should be released is not a result of a successful rehabilitation programme in the jail system, but is a desperate measure by correctional services to try and cope,” he said.

Curlewis said underpaid staff, understaffed prisons, bad working conditions, mismanagement, dirty and unhygienic work environments, corruption and nepotism all helped to play a role.

“All these and more are just some of the challenges to the bigger underlying problem. I’m not surprised some inmates live a life of reasonable luxury on taxpayers’ money. We recently saw it when Thabo Bester walked around in court in a R15 000 T-shirt,” said Curlewis.