In its 2013-14 annual report, the inspectorate revealed appalling conditions under which children, especially those awaiting trial, are being held, including being prevented from accessing education and recreational programmes, with many kept in cells with only 1m² of space.
Of the country’s remand prisoner population, 44% are children and juveniles, while of the sentenced prisoners, 27% are children and juveniles.
For a Pretoria mother whose 15year-old son has been awaiting trial for 18 months, the thought of the conditions he is living under are too much for her.
“When they do get supper, it’s during the day and they go to bed hungry at night. He says they try to hide food, but if the warders catch them, they are punished.
