LIST OF ACRONYMS
CHAPTER 5: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
5.2 CORRECTIONAL OFFICIAL’S UNDERSTANDING OF THE TERM ‘SEXUAL ASSAULT’
5.2.6 Understaffing as a contributing factor to sexual assault in correctional centres In terms of awareness of male sexual assault in correctional centre, some participants were of
the view that the correctional centre is inadequately staffed, and sexual assault occurs because correctional officials are simply not. The findings confirm that offenders are often left alone, especially at night as a result of understaffing. Therefore, resulting in male sexual assault of offenders.
The following verbatim show how being short- staffed in correctional centre impact male sexual assault:
“We have a night shift member that patrols a double wing you have there is two hundred and fifty offenders this side there is three hundred that side when am patrolling this side it means that side this am living it alone for half an hour via verse and because most of the offenders in
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the cells belong to one of the other gangs. Even if it happens, they are unlikely to inform us.
Being short-staffed in a correctional centre like this plays a huge role in male sexual assault and because we are short-staffed, we are regularly compromised at night which is when we should be more vigilant in regards to that” (Participant, B01).
“Factors such as shortage of staff makes it difficult for us to prevent this from happening”
(Participant, D02).
“We understaffed … you find that one guard patrols the cells randomly looking from one cell to other. I mean he has 8 cells to look his not going to look at one cell for the whole shift during the duration of the shift, he moves from one spot to another so when he moves it can happen when he’s not looking in that cell” (Participant, D01).
It is evident from the above comments that being short-staffed in a correctional centre plays a huge role in the occurrences of male sexual assault. Participants revealed that factors such as shortage of staff make it challenging to prevent male sexual assault. In addition, participants reported that 1 correctional official has 8 cells to patrol. During the duration of the shift he moves from one wing of the cells to another, therefore when he moves, he leaves one wing unattended. Participants expressed that as a concern because the centre is short-staffed at night, of which that when there should be more officials to be vigilant of any act such as sexual assault.
Offenders have been trusted in the care of correctional officials to protect them and safeguard from occurrences of male sexual assault. However, officials are failing to adhere to this responsibility because of being under-staffed especially at night when the occurrence of male sexual assault is likely to occur. The centre has only one correctional official that is responsible for more than 250 offenders, therefore this highlights the challenges correctional officials are currently facing in correctional centre. It was interesting to find out that the shortage of staff in a correctional centre play a significant role in male sexual assault. Gear (2001) stated understaffing in South Africa’s Correctional Centres hinders efficient and responsive management of male sexual assault by correctional officials. The study also confirms findings of a study conducted by (Struckman-Johnson & Struckman-Johnson, 2000), that male sexual assault in correctional centres is related understaffing and overcrowding.
102 5.2.7 Overcrowding in correctional centres
Overcrowding is the single most pressing problem facing South African correctional services, which could have an impact on male sexual assault. Overcrowding in correctional centres directly leads to male sexual assault, because it reduces the ability of officials to segregate and closely monitor dangerous and violent offenders (Wyatt, 2006). This study found that participants are aware that overcrowding perpetrates male sexual assault in the correctional centre.
The researcher selected the following verbatim to illustrate the impact of overcrowding on male sexual assault:
“Cells are supposed to occupy 3 people to avoid sexual assault and other kinds of assault for that matter. Here we have too many offenders, cells occupy more than 30 offenders therefore it is very difficult to prevent this from happening. We also have a storage of isolation cells because we have to remove the perpetrator from the victim” (Participant, A01).
“In general, I don’t believe it because outside of prison you on your own you very really come into with those people but in prison because there is so many of you in one cell it possible that it can happen. I would say the overcrowding promotes that, the overcrowding situation of correctional centres” (Participant, D01).
“Mmmh, definitely overcrowding is a huge factor when it comes to the situation of sexual assault in prisons. You have got three and half thousand offenders here in a prison that is built for two thousand. Overcrowding, and gangsterism. Those are the two big factors on sexual assault, the one is linked to the other” (Participant, B01).
“Male sexual assault happens in all environment more so in correctional centres because it’s a closed environment and they are many offenders in a cell” (Participant, C01).
“There is many of them in one cell so that’s why they might be able commits sexual offences, even the isolations are full so you get that 2 to 3 people will be sharing it” (Participant, B02).
“I think overcrowding may be the major cause. Correctional centres are overcrowded, and some inmates end up sharing a bed and that is more likely to lead to a sexual offence”
(Participant, A02).
Because of overcrowding we end up have a high number of offenders in cells, increasing the chances of sexual to occur ((Participant, C02).
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I would say the overcrowding promotes sexual assault of offenders, the overcrowding situation of correctional centres (Participant, D02).
Frustration about overcrowding in male correctional centres has been of much emphasis throughout the discussions amongst participants. The participants revealed that overcrowding makes it impossible for the effective curbing of sexual assault. They alluded that a cell which is designed to accommodate 3 individual offenders accommodate 30. As a result, there are no beds, and offenders end up sharing a bed subsequently leading to sexual assault. Participants expressed that overcrowding in cells increases the chance for sexual assault to occur. One participant further mentioned that even the isolation cells are crowded. From the above data, it is evident that overcrowding is rife in Westville Correctional Centre.
The above narratives on overcrowding demonstrated a strong need for prevention methods for male sexual assault. This finding is consistent with findings from other studies that overcrowding in correctional centre has an impact on the extent of sexual assault (Hensley, 2002; Dumond et al., 2000; Booyens, 2008; Shayi, 2008; Singh, 2007) (Section 2.5.1).
Correctional officials are aware that overcrowding in the correctional centre is a problem that potentially results in sexual assault of offenders.
From the above discussion, it is evident that overcrowding results in prevalent of gang activity in correctional centre; both these factors are interlinked to each other. With that in mind, the following discussion is on gang activity in correctional centre.