Tensions high at St Albans prison outside Port Elizabeth

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

Tensions are mounting at St Albans Prison outside Port Elizabeth following a raid on the Medium B facility by officials who seized a range of weapons, a cellphone and private clothes which are not allowed.

Department spokesperson, Manelisi Wolela, said 108 of the 408 inmates in that section refused to take their meals after the raid but said there is no hunger strike.

He said three inmates were injured during the raid in which reinforcements had to be called in.

Wolela told Algoa FM News that since Sunday's raid they've suspended visits to the facility.

"The situation is fairly back to normal but we want to make it clear that security operations are an imperative faction of any correctional facility in any part of the world"

Meanwhile, Wolela says the security turn-around plan in Correction Centres is being stepped up.

He says Acting National Commissioner Nontsikilelo Jolingana had declared zero tolerance of contraband in prisons.

"None of the offenders will be allowed to possess those things and the Department will take strong disciplinary action against these offenders and the consequences of that may be downgrading their classification, the loss of privileges and it will affect their applications for parole" he said.