The Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS) has released a statement in response to videos that emerged on social media of inmates live streaming from prisons. The JICS said that the possession of a cell phone by an inmate was illegal and punishable by law.
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Ian Cameron, the leader of the civil rights organisation Action Society, said that he has received numerous reports about inmates live streaming from prisons on platforms such as TikTok.
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In videos shared by Cameron on his Twitter feed, inmates in Correctional Services uniforms are walking around in what appears to be a prison cell and conversing with one another. The live stream video also shows messages being sent from online followers.
Receiving increasing reports of convicts doing live-streaming on TikTok etc from prison. We know things are messed up, but every day I become more aware that criminals in South Africa have more rights than law-abiding citizens. @RonaldLamola your incompetence is remarkable. pic.twitter.com/GKhEeaC4e2
— Ian Cameron (@IanCameron23) June 11, 2023
News24 reported that the spokesperson for JICS, Emerantia Cupido, said the possession of a cellphone by an inmate was illegal and punishable by law, but did not state whether the social media accounts used were being investigated, only that the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) conducts regular checks for illegal items in prison cells.
‘The DCS conducts spot checks and searches to combat the smuggling and usage of contraband items. It is important to note that illegal access to and use of cellphones is a punishable offence,’ said Cupido.
Cell phones are banned from prisons as they are a potential tool for planning escapes from prison or enabling further illegal activities.
Cupido said the JICS will address the matter of defective telephone lines in prisons so that inmates will have better access to communication with their loved ones and alleviate the need for cell phones.
‘The JICS recognises that addressing the problem of defective telephone lines aligns with its core mandate. By improving communication systems within correctional centres, inmates will have better access to communication with their loved ones. This, in turn, reduces the demand for smuggling cell phones as effective communication channels are readily available,’ she said.
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Picture: Screenshot / @IanCameron23 / Twitter