Sick and dying inmates exposed at Modderbee prison (SABC)

October 21, 2008, 18:15

Sick and dying inmates are being left to waste away behind prison walls. The harrowing scenes can be seen on secret footage taken inside a Gauteng prison. The exclusive footage forms part of a Special Assignment investigation into medical parole, which airs later tonight.

Shocking images from behind the walls of Modderbee prison, east of Johannesburg, are exposed. An inmate, that was later identified as Buti Mofokeng from the East Rand, died without his family being aware of his deteriorating health.

The damning video was sent to Special Assignment to expose the lack of access to medical care inside the prison. Two prisoners say they have to care for their fellow inmate, who has had a foot amputated recently.

The law states that only terminally ill patients in their final stages are eligible for medical parole. Jacob van Garderen, of Lawyers for Human Rights, says the application of the Correctional Services Act is done very restrictively, to allow only a very small number of people to qualify for parole.

Attempts to get comment from Correctional Services failed.