10 worst prisons in South Africa: toughest prisons in the country
While South Africa is renowned for numerous positive things including a vibrant economy and beautiful landscapes, it’s also known for some not-so-nice ones, such as high crime rates. Such vices have led to the establishment and expansion of prisons, both general and juvenile, all over the country. These prisons vary in size, facilities, and inmate conditions. Which are the worst prisons in South Africa today?
Source: UGC
Inmate conditions are determined by factors such as their security inside the prison, hygiene standards, interaction with guards, meals, and numerous others. The worst prisons in the country have reputations for terrible standards, often characterized by violence, diseases, and violations of human dignity.
The worst prisons in South Africa
Here is a list of prisons in South Africa renowned for their deplorable conditions when it comes to inmate life.
10. Johannesburg (Sun City) Prison
The Johannesburg Prison, commonly referred to as the Sun City Prison, is among the largest jails in the country. The facility currently holds more than 2,600 inmates, 567 of whom are serving not less than 10 years.
A significant percentage of the inmates at Sun City Prison are serving multiple life sentences. In 2018, 16 convicts escaped the facility, revealing numerous problems at the prison, some of the top being overcrowding and corruption.
After the escape, a massive raid was conducted, leading to the recovery of numerous illegal items including drugs, cell phones, and homemade weapons.
9. Helderstroom Prison
Source: UGC
Helderstroom is one of the prisons known for violent attacks on both officers of the law and the offenders themselves. The facility has become infamous for its often-violent ‘initiation’ rites that are often carried out by older, high-ranking offenders.
Tales of torture are quite commonplace at the facility. The situation is so terrible to the extent that some of the inmates have ended up committing suicide, especially those in solitary confinement.
8. Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison
Pollsmoor Prison is the largest prison in the Western Cape. It is an overcrowded facility located in Tokai, Cape Town. The facility was initially designed to hold about 3,900 inmates but currently has close to 9,000.
The prison is renowned for its almost non-existent management. In fact, it is almost entirely run by Cape Town gangs. Diseases spread rapidly due to the overcrowding menace, and some of the inmates have awaited trial for years on end without any future results.
Cases of violence and possession of crude weapons among inmates are commonplace.
7. Goodwood Prison
Also making it to the list of worst correctional facilities in Mzansi is this Cape Town prison. The centre was initially established to accommodate detainees awaiting trial. It quickly became a centre of excellence due to its efforts to save inmates through a variety of projects and programs.
Among its top projects were the Sexual Offenders Programs, Life Skills Programs, Orientation Programs, and AA Programs. Unfortunately, what started as a good plan quickly took a turn for the worse. The overcrowding of major prisons led to inmates being brought to Goodwood as a way of creating space for dangerous criminals.
Over time, the facility became worse as it took in dangerous gangs and became overcrowded. A recent raid in 2021 revealed a deep rot in the entire system including the possession of mobile phones and weapons by the inmates.
6. Ebongweni Correctional Centre
Source: UGC
Also known as Kokstad Prison, this facility is considered one of the most secure maximum prisons in South Africa. There are wardens stationed at every corner, ten electronically and CCTV-monitored doors, as well as steel doors that one must go through before entering or exiting the facility.
This facility houses 906 of the most notorious and high-risk offenders. Inmates are under strict surveillance and spend 23 hours in solitary confinement.
5. Grootvlei Prison
This facility is renowned for housing the largest number of state patients. These are individuals who have been charged with criminal offences and have been declared unfit to stand trial, at times because of mental instability.
The jail has been marred with allegations of corruption, with guard officers accepting bribes from offenders that can pay for preferential treatment. On a surprise visit conducted in the facility, it was established that there were dangerous items in the possession of inmates.
4. Drakenstein Correctional Centre
This facility was previously known as the Victor Verster Prison and is widely renowned as the last place where the late Nelson Mandela was jailed. This facility holds some of the most notorious gang members in Cape Town. It is, in fact, ranked as one of the most fearsome prisons in South Africa as a whole.
Interestingly, the facility is classified as a low-security facility despite housing some notorious criminal offenders.
3. Modderbee Prison
Like most other jails in South Africa, inmates at Modderbee have been known to get violent especially when denied what they consider their rights. One such case was when there was a breakout and several inmates escaped, a few died, and others were injured.
An ex-inmate recently released from Modderbee reported that the only recreational activity inmates in his section of the prison had access to were soccer games on Sundays.
2. Boksburg Prison
Even though there is no overcrowding at this facility, the state is still pathetic and shows a lot of struggles. Hygiene is wanting, and cases of sickness abound. At one time it was alleged that inmates drank water from geysers.
In late 2021, ten inmates at the facility ended up in hospital after more than 50 guards allegedly beat them up and used dogs and tear gas in a surprise dawn raid. The attack came days after the inmates reportedly filed a lengthy formal complaint about the facility's boss, accusing him of assault and failing to ensure proper living conditions in the facility.
1. Leeukop Prison
Source: UGC
This is one of the largest jails in South Africa, with an inmate population exceeding 30,000. The facility was initially established as a special centre for violent and disruptive prisoners. Today, it is used to hold anyone categorized as dangerous according to the South African Criminal Procedure Act.
Inmates are kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day, and guards use specialized equipment including electric shields. Leeukop also has an unenviable reputation as one of the most violent jails in the country. The Leeukop Juvenile Facility, located in the same compound, is among the worst juvenile prisons in South Africa.
How many prisons are in South Africa?
How many prisons are there in South Africa? There are currently 243 correctional centres, with a total inmate population of slightly over 160,000.
How many female prisons are there in South Africa?
There are nine exclusive female prisons in South Africa.
There are more than 200 prisons in South Africa, perhaps a testament to the significantly high crime rate in the country. These facilities vary in size, composition, and inmate conditions. Some of the worst ones have been known for numerous violations of prisoner rights.
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Issues such as fund mismanagement, drug use, poor investments, and loss of employment are among the most common reasons behind celebs going broke.
Source: Briefly News
Peris Walubengo (Lifestyle writer) Peris Walubengo is a content creator with 5 years of experience writing articles, researching, editing, and proofreading. She has a Bachelor of Commerce & IT from the University of Nairobi and joined Briefly.co.za in November 2019. The writer completed a Google News Initiate Course. She covers bios, marketing & finance, tech, fashion & beauty, recipes, movies & gaming reviews, culture & travel. You can email her at perisrodah254@gmail.com.
Jackline Wangare (Lifestyle writer) Jackline Simwa is a content writer at Briefly.co.za, where she has worked since mid-2021. She tackles diverse topics, including finance, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. Previously, she worked at The Campanile by Kenyatta University. She has more than five years in writing. Jackline graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (2019) and a Diploma in Marketing (2015) from Kenyatta University. In 2023, Jackline finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques and Google News Initiative course in 2024. Email: simwajackie2022@gmail.com.
