Youth Month: children behind bars caught in life of crime

NEARLY 400 youngsters are behind bars awaiting trial for serious crimes at one of the country’s most notorious prisons – a stark contrast to the youth of 1976 who were jailed for demanding equality.

As Youth Month draws to a close, the number of incarcerated young people and their uncertain future was placed in the spotlight.

Pollsmoor Prison has 397 young prisoners aged 18 to 21, housed in the maximum A section of the correctional centre.

The category is further broken down into children aged 10 to 17 and juveniles aged 18 to 21.

Last year, the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services revealed 55 children were in remand detention, 3 105 juveniles awaiting trial, 42 children were sentenced and 1 503 juveniles sentenced across the country.

And between 2019 and 2020, there were 2 058 sentenced juveniles and 3 724 remand juveniles, 65 sentenced children and 58 on-remand children.

Lewies Davids, manager of spiritual care at Pollsmoor, said the group consisted of inmates who were awaiting trial for crimes ranging from burglaries to rape and murder.

“It is vital to understand the importance of our youth, because they are the future and the youth of 1976 paved the way for our democracy today; that is why we always put effort into their rehabilitation process.”

Davids also said of the 6 034 inmates who made up the prison’s total population, 5 000 were awaiting trial.

“During this time we make it our mission to start the rehabilitation process, but it is difficult because there’s no set time for them to come or go, meaning we can’t follow through with the rehabilitation path as we would like to.”

Davids said their rehabilitation process was mainly focused on addressing anger management, upliftment programmes, spiritual guidance and sessions with social workers and psychiatrists.

The prison also makes provision for inmates to obtain a skill such as electrical work, plumbing and carpentry while in prison.

Davids said they partnered with local church Victory Outreach to help with rehabilitation.

“Correction is a societal contribution that is why we have taken hands with them, so that when we send them out into society again they have a backbone and support structure.

“At the church they go to support groups. They also offer a six week programme to help youth (with) their drug habits.”

Davids said high unemployment rates, drugs and pressures to fit in were among the reasons many young people found themselves imprisoned.

“We try our best to make sure that the youth knows that they can still make a turnaround when in Pollsmoor. This is, after all, the gateway to every prison in the Western Cape. Every prisoner will come here first,” he added.

Prison warden Gregg Smith said youth entering prison life were faced with a myriad challenges.

“(A few) weeks ago we were stopped from going into the cells because they were stabbing people.

“It’s ruthless inside. When you are outside you are free. It’s what the youth of 1976 fought for, but when you are inside there is no freedom to move around, you are caught between the four walls.”

Smith said while they tried their best to keep juveniles out of prison, they still struggled to keep track of the older ones.

“It’s a sad reality that we struggle to keep 17-year-olds out of the system because they are usually the gunslingers, the hitmen.

“They are also used to bring contraband into the cells and get caught up in doing this, some of them never leave. This truly isn’t a place for the youth.”