IOL reports that the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has confirmed that three prison officials were stabbed by an inmate at the Johannesburg Correctional Centre on Wednesday morning.
All three were treated and discharged from the hospital the same day. However, gruesome pictures have shown the officials bleeding profusely while receiving treatment. “Minimum force had to be used in disarming the inmate and stopping him from attacking other officials,” DCS spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo reported. According to Nxumalo, criminal charges will be instituted against the inmate in question. He did not give specifics of the inmate in question, but apparently the inmate is stationed in the Medium C section of the prison. Meanwhile, the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) spokesperson Richard Mamabolo condemned the attack. “We are disturbed by such recurring incidents of altercations across our Correctional centres. It's a reflection of the staff shortages, and deviates the department from fulfilling its core mandate, which is rehabilitation. We urge the Minister to look into ensuring our Correctional centres become self-sustainable in giving inmates skills. As it stands, 85% of those released from our centres are reoffending, demonstrating the lack of rehabilitation therein,” Mamabolo stated.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntombi Nkosi at IOL
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