Private correctional centres’ contracts with the state ‘cannot be justifiable’

The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union is calling on the state to take over private prisons but experts question the state’s capacity to do so.

Another G4S security guard is expected to appear before the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Thursday on charges of assisting inmate Thabo Bester to escape from lawful custody and defeating the ends of justice.

National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed the 51-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday at the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein.

‘Preferential treatment’

Popcru president Zizamele Cebekhulu-Makhaza said some union members were warned not to talk about Bester’s escape during a recent visit to the correctional centre. He said, according to inmates, Bester had received preferential treatment, such as being allowed to wear a suit on his birthday.

“We heard Bester lived lavishly in prison where well-known people visited him. We were told they don’t call the inmates prisoners, they called them clients,” he said.

ALSO READ: Popcru calls on govt to ‘sever ties with private companies who run prisons’

Cebekhulu-Makhaza said officers went on strike last year because of these problems in the prison.

“We put the blame squarely on the shoulders of correctional services who have the responsibility of oversight and compliance and ensuring laws are adhered to,” he said.

Cebekhulu-Makhaza said he was shocked to discover that one officer was responsible for 60 inmates.

“They are not prepared to employ more people, they are just interested in making a profit,” he said.

Criminologist Prof Jaco Barkhuizen said the idea of a correctional facility was to incarcerate and correct offenders’ behaviour so they could be released back into society.

“However in our increasingly overcrowded correctional facilities and inability to roll out proper rehabilitation and restorative justice programmes, the department of justice and correctional services was forced into a private prison agreement,” he said.

ALSO READ: Despite all evidence G4S insists Thabo Bester died in fire, Popcru says prove it

Barkhuizen said a private prison partnership theoretically helped with overcrowded systems.

“When there is no proper oversight, we see a prison industrial complex where private companies make millions.

“There are no incentives to lower the crime rates because crime pays, the more crime, the more offenders there will be that will feed into a private prison,” he said.

‘Compromised safety’

Criminologist Dr Witness Maluleke questioned whether the state could buy out the two privately run correctional centres.

“Monetary wise, the private correctional centres’ partnership with the state’s binding long contract cannot be justifiable, since billions are spent monthly, with compromised safety and security concerns, based on the latest developments,” he said.

Maluleke said the remedy was building state-of-the-art centres while solely focusing on intelligence-led operations with closer collaborations, interaction and information exchange, as well as improved training, better education and remunerations of officials.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Nothing wrong with Thabo Bester having personal laptop in prison, says G4S

Action Society founder Ian Cameron has called the ministers and G4S responsible for letting Bester escape to pay the R1.4 million it took to fly him back to South Africa.

“Not only must taxpayers pay for the whole escape debacle and the process to find Bester, but now they must also pay for the luxurious flight to bring them back,” he said.

– marizkac@citizen.co.za