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The Acting National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Nontsikelelo Jolingana, has announced new and extended measures to beef up security at prisons in a bid to end violence and attacks on officials.
She announced the measures at St Albans Prison oustide Port Elizabeth on Monday after stabbings at the facility in the past 12 months left 28 officials seriously injured and traumatised.
Jolingana says among other measures, body scanners will be introduced at correctional facilities.
"Over the medium term expenditure framework we have committed over R71 million for security equiptment and technology, R22.6 million for 2014/15 financial year, R23.8 million for the 2015/16 financial year and R25 million in the outer year. The tender issue in 2013 is currently being adjudicated for the installation of body-scanners across our facilities." says Jolingana
Meanwhile, Correctional officials conducted raids at St Albans where 149 cellphones and 70 mandrax tablets were confiscated.
During the media briefing a cellphone confiscated during the raids began to ring. A Correctional Officer who answered the phone said afterwards that the matter would be investigated further.
