The escape of Thabo Bester from the public-private partnership Mangaung Correctional Centre (MCC) has put the spotlight on the Department of Correctional Services (DCS).
In several countries, it is considered human nature to want to escape from a correctional facility and it is reported that approximately 3% of all inmates across the world escape at some point during their time behind bars.
In South Africa, during 1995/96, 1 173 inmates escaped from correctional facilities. Until my retirement on August 31 2017, in my experience, in almost every case inmates were assisted to escape. All escapes were because of human intervention and not infrastructural challenges. The escapes were planned and inmates, officials and/or members of the public were involved.
Inmates either acted alone, were coerced by gang members, and colluded with officials. As a result, a cell gate or door would deliberately be left unlocked during the night so that the inmate could escape.
In other instances, state vehicles, driven by officials transporting inmates to court, were ambushed and inmates were assisted to escape by force. Many unguarded inmates also just disappeared at court and hospitals.
In December 1997, Collen Chauke escaped from the C-Max correctional facility in Pretoria in a hail of gunfire after holding an official hostage.
In 2006, Ananias Mathe escaped from C-Max after paying officials a bribe. In June 2010, 41 inmates escaped from the Harrismith correctional facility as a result of collusion and a cell not locked during lock-up.
In January 2013, maximum security inmates at Groenpunt set the centre ablaze as part of an elaborate escape plan.
Despite this, and the negativity following the Bester escape, South Africa’s 243 correctional facilities remain secure.
According to DCS, in South Africa, in the last (2022/23) financial year, 27 inmates, out of an inmate population of 157 000, representing 0.017% of the inmate population, escaped.
Over the past 29 years in our country, the lowest number of escapes were recorded during 2021/22. Escapes were reduced from 117 in 2020/21 to 22 in 2021/22. In 1995/96, 1 173 inmates escaped compared to 22 in 2021/22.
Almost all escapees were re-arrested, and DCS, in line with the Correctional Services Act, Act 111 of 1998, continues to ensure that officials and members of the public who assist an inmate in escaping, or attempting to escape, from any correctional centre, face the full might of the law.
- Modise is the retired correctional services commissioner
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