South African prisons need signal jamming devices more than ever

29 July 2015

A reply to a DA parliamentary question from the Minister of Correctional Services, Mike Masutha, reveals that the department is losing the battle against crime in prisons after it reported the confiscation of 98 413 illegal communication devices from inside prisons in the past five years. 

The use of illegal communications devices in prisons makes detention facilities conduits for the direct coordination of crimes in communities, particularly gang activity. 

In the past five financial years, of the 98 413 devices a total of 64 123 cellular devices have been confiscated from remand detainees and convicted prisoners. Other communication devices include: sim cards, chargers and DSTV walkers. 

In the face of such high volume of illegal communications devices in prisons, it is astonishing that interventions such as signal jamming technology are not already in use in prisons.

While the eventual detection of these devices is laudable, prevention is always better than cure – prison officials are clearly failing in this respect as well. 

I will therefore write to Minister Masutha to request that he accelerate the procurement of signal jamming devices to be placed in each and every prison in our country. Convicted inmates make use of these communication devices to handle smuggled goods and direct their criminal activities outside our prisons. 

If we can use signal jammers in Parliament why not in Pollsmoor? 

See table for a breakdown of devices found:

Statement issued by James Selfe MP, DA Shadow Minister of Correctional Services, July 29 2015