Memories of the ‘inside’ Conditions in South African women’s prisons

The inadequate conditions of imprisonment in South African correctional facilities are well known. Health care, sanitation, food provision, access to education and reading materials, and in particular, the overcrowding, of female prisons are considerable challenges faced by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) regarding the incarceration of female prisoners [i] . A retrospective view of the conditions under which female inmates in South African correctional facilities are incarcerated is examined in this paper. Findings indicate that prison conditions in some South African female correctional facilities are poor: health care and sanitation facilities are largely inadequate, the quality of food is poor, little or no reading materials are made available, and recreational facilities are largely absent. These conditions impact negatively on the female prisoners during, and sometimes, after their incarceration.

Overcrowding generates and exacerbates tension and violence in prisons through competition for resources, including toilets, showers, basins, beds and bedding. 14 These tensions were illustrated by respondents: According to the participants, due to overcrowding two inmates sometimes had to share a single bed. Due to the increasing female prison population, which may continue to grow in future, it is likely that inmates will continue to outnumber beds. 16 Prison overcrowding is not a South African problem only.
It remains a challenge in prisons worldwide, with many countries experiencing an increase in prison populations. 17 As I explore below, overcrowding is the root cause of many other problems that female inmates in South Africa face. One of these is unhygienic conditions and inadequate healthcare.

Healthcare
Many prisoners in several countries suffer poor health, which sometimes precedes their incarceration. 18 The This study found that the healthcare provision in The health of the female inmates, which is often compromised before incarceration, was reportedly made worse by the food available to them. Some inmates who had specific ailments and required specialised diets reported difficulties accessing these in the correctional facilities.

Food
The poor health of the female prisoners may in part be a reflection of the food that is provided at correctional facilities. It has been argued that prison food should be as nutritious as budget allocations will allow, because good food reduces prisoner discontent and ensures prisoners' good health, which can lead to long-term cost savings for prison authorities. 21 Most participants in this study reported being fed poor quality food during their incarceration.
They claimed that the food was 'terrible' and in some cases not properly cooked. The food in some prisons was said to be rotten. As a result, some participants reported being close to starvation at times.
Participants also reported that prison food was monotonous and did not constitute a balanced diet. They reported that their diet consisted mainly of carbohydrates in the form of bread and pap (a porridge made from ground maize), which was sometimes served with cabbage and boiled eggs.
Participants' narratives suggest that some inmates could request special diets for health (diabetic and HIV-positive inmates) and religious (Halaal foods for Muslims) reasons, and that this food was generally of a better quality. Still, one participant who suffered from fibromyalgia reported that the food that she was given during her incarceration was not tailored to her health requirements, and this worsened her condition.
The monotony of prison food made some participants develop a dislike for particular types of food; so much so that they did not eat these foods once released from prison. However, the opportunity to study in prison was not without challenges. Some participants claimed that even though they wanted to enrol for formal education while in prison, they were prohibited from so doing by the prison staff. Others claimed that the short lengths of their prison sentences prevented them from enrolling, as only inmates with lengthy sentences were allowed to enrol in the prison school.

Hygiene and sanitation
Other participants felt that favouritism played a part, and that even though they indicated their desire to enrol for formal education during their incarceration, they were not granted this opportunity because they were not one of the prison warden's favourites.

Occupational conditions
The work that the female inmates engaged in and the skills that they were taught are examined in this section.

Prison work and skills acquisition
The importance of work while in prison has been well established. 24 Prison work provides inmates with emotional stability, and ensures order in these institutions. 25

Social conditions
Exercise, recreation and contact with the outside world, in the form of telephone calls, electronic communication and visits from family and friends, constitute the social conditions that will be discussed in this section.

Exercise and recreation
Section 35 (2)(e) of the South African Constitution provides that 'everyone who is detained, including every sentenced prisoner has the right to conditions of detention that are consistent with human dignity; including at least exercise …'. 26 Similarly, the 2014/2015 Annual Report of the JICS states that '[e]very inmate must be given the opportunity to exercise sufficiently in order to remain healthy and is entitled to at least one hour of exercise daily. If the weather permits, this exercise must take place in the open air.' 27 Some participants claimed that the rights of prisoners to exercise were not always upheld. A few participants noted that they were given time to exercise in prison, while others reported that they were not.
The confinement of prisoners has a negative impact on their opportunities for exercise. 28 The Inmates claimed that they were allowed to use public telephones located inside the prisons, but that calls to family and friends were often restricted by the prison