On Tuesday morning, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services visited the Drakenstein Correctional Centre in Paarl to assess the security protocols implemented at the facility.
The committee expressed concerns about various safety issues in prisons, including escape incidents and the unnatural deaths of inmates.
Correctional facilities are also facing challenges such as overcrowding, gang-related violence, insufficient staffing, and widespread smuggling of contraband.
Speaking to VOC News, crime expert Andy Mashaile, a security strategist and retired Interpol ambassador for the Turn Back Crime Campaign (TBC), said the visit highlighted numerous systemic challenges, including contraband smuggling resulting from both external and internal security breaches.
*Listen to the full interview here.
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