The Madlanga Commission has heard that inmates can influence or manipulate correctional services officials in decisions involving inmate placement and work allocations.
Correctional Services Commissioner, Makhothi Thobakgale made the revelation while testifying before the commission.
Thobakgale told the commission that Choppies, a self-confessed gang member and leader from the Western Cape, was found working in the kitchen at the Kuruman Correctional Facility despite being regarded as a high-risk inmate.
He said the inmate had been at the facility for more than 12 months, which he believes contributed to changes in the crime profile of the Kuruman area.
“He was not supposed to be there. He was supposed to be in a maximum-security facility until he finishes his sentence,” Thobakgale testified.
The commissioner also raised concerns that some inmates already belong to criminal groupings outside correctional facilities, potentially allowing them to influence criminal activities within communities.
