Thousands of convicted prisoners will this week be transferred from overcrowded Western Cape prisons to facilities in other provinces.
The Department of Correctional Services is preparing to transfer 2 500 convicts from next week, in a bid to free space for awaiting trial prisoners. This follows a High Court ruling compelling prison authorities to reduce overcrowding.
The capacity at Pollsmoor Prison was 3 900, but the actual population on Saturday was 8 000, a spokesman tells Weekend Argus.
“This is because courts such as Bellville, Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain and Blue Downs refer offenders and inmates to facilities such as Pollsmoor.
“Pollsmoor has to comply with court rulings or risk being in contempt of court,” said Simphiwe Xako, Correctional Services regional spokesman.
The plan was to transfer most of the offenders in February and March to free bed space for awaiting trial prisoners.
“When this process is completed, by the end of June, a total of 2 500 remand detainees will have been moved from Pollsmoor, Goodwood and Malmesbury [prisons],” he said.
Freddie Engelbrecht, acting regional commissioner for Correctional Services, last month said prisoners were unhappy at being moved away from their families as often they could not afford to visit them. “They are taking it very badly. No one wants to be transferred,” he says.