One official at Sun City prison, who wished to remain anonymous, warned that although the conditions were not conducive at their facility, there were inmates who were trying to use the Covid-19 pandemic as a way to be released.
Awaiting trial inmates at the Johannesburg Correctional Centre — commonly known as “Sun City” — who claim to have tested positive for Covid-19, allege that they are grouped together and sleeping on the floor in one overcrowded cell.by awaiting trial prisoners at the centre show a group of men wearing masks in a cell while sitting on the floor against the wall, with some of them sharing beds. The windows are covered with black plastic bags, allegedly to cover broken glass.
But the department has denied that there are any Covid-19 cases at the centre and said no one is in isolation. “As responded previously, overcrowding remains a challenge within the correctional system. However, we do attend to maintenance issues as capacity is available. The allegations made are in the extreme and false,” said department spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo. “Johannesburg Medium A in Gauteng has a total of 6 609 inmates, whereas its bed capacity is 2 630.
But Cameron clarified that, although the department was making efforts to deal with the conditions there, it was incapable of dealing with the overcrowding issue. Since then, the department has ordered geysers to sort out the cold-water problem and made some emergency arrangements.that three to four men shared a bed, and some men sleep crammed together on the floor.
In an attempt to control overcrowding at correctional centres, the government announced that as many as 19 000 inmates who were eligible for parole or charged with lower scheduled crimes and remanded without bail would be released.
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