St Albans Prison increasingly unsafe

25 January 2017

In the wake of a brutal attack on Correctional Officers at the St Albans Prison outside Port Elizabeth on 26 December 2016, the Department of Correctional Services has done little to address the resulting pressure on its employees.

The attack left 13 Officers critically injured. These Officers have not returned to work because of their injuries. Another 27 Officers are currently on sick leave as a direct result of the traumatic incident. The Prison management has, however, not made arrangements to replace the injured or incapacitated Officers. “The Prison is therefore seriously understaffed. Despite this, Officers are expected to continue with their duties,” says PSA Provincial Manager in the Eastern Cape, Piet Van Aardt.

The PSA represents most of the Correctional Service Officers at St Albans Prison and fears for the safety of the Union’s members. “According to the PSA’s information, St Albans Prison can only deal with an approved ratio of 3 439 inmates. The facility, however, at the time of the attach and presently accommodates 5 861. This over-population dramatically increases the risk of further attacks and endangers the lives of Correctional Officers,” says Mr Van Aardt.

“The Department of Correctional Services re-arranged the shift system from a three-day to a two-day shift system to ensure that more officers are available per shift. This arrangement was, however, only in place for a week. Officers are now again working on the old shift system, despite the tense situation at the Prison,” says Mr Van Aardt.

The Department of Correctional Services is aware of the unsafe conditions at St Albans Prison but has done little to ensure the safety of its employees. “The PSA has warned the Department on numerous occasions of the dangers associated with understaffed Prisons. The time has come for the Department to take note of the gravity of this situation. Drastic steps are required to avoid further violence and to safeguard the physical and mental health of its employees,” says Mr Van Aardt.

Issued by Piet Van Aardt on behalf of PSA, 25 January 2017