University Of Crime
Big Issue|Issue 297
An intimate look inside Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison.
Bernadette Mccabe
University Of Crime

A massive 80% of the prisoners I met during my photographic documentary at Pollsmoor have been involved with the ‘Numbers’. The apartheid relocation of Coloured and Black people from inner-city Cape Town to the Cape Flats and surrounding townships had a powerful effect on gangsterism, which is rife. This social dislocation enabled the burgeoning street gangs of the early 80s to thrive. Once sentenced by the South African Department of Corrections, prisoners are divided into three different categories: economic, sexual or crimes of violence. Criminals will join gangs on the inside according to these categories of classification.

Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison, Tokai, Cape Town. After three months of proposals and meetings, finally, the morning arrived to enter the personal cells in the Maximum B section. Above the main gate are written the words, ‘Seize the moment, touch someone, rehabilitate.’ A far cry from the truth inside.

That first day I could smell my own fear. When the main gate was unlocked, I entered with my camera, two lenses, pen, paper, and my phone as a voice-recording device. Between two rows of leering eyes, I walked, escorted by five wardens to meet the prisoners who’d agreed to share their stories. A smell of smoke, bodies, and the thickness of stale air hit me.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Issue 297 من Big Issue.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Issue 297 من Big Issue.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من BIG ISSUE مشاهدة الكل
Visit The ‘Seaside Circus'
Big Issue

Visit The ‘Seaside Circus'

There’s a new art activation on the prom …

time-read
1 min  |
Issue 300
SA's Food Capture?
Big Issue

SA's Food Capture?

While the debate rages on over glyphosate-based herbicides, farmers are spraying the chemical all over the world

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 300
Design That Uplifts, Delight Intrigues
Big Issue

Design That Uplifts, Delight Intrigues

A collaboration with Southern Guild at the Silo District in Cape Town showcases designer Rich Mnisi’s first solo exhibition, titled Nyoka, on show from 2 October 2021 through to 4 February 2022. Designed to reach out and inspire.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 300
Why Kaaps Language Dictionary Matters!
Big Issue

Why Kaaps Language Dictionary Matters!

The first-ever dictionary of South Africa’s Kaaps language has launched. Why it matters …

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 300
Hungry, And Tired
Big Issue

Hungry, And Tired

This charity has been feeding Cape Town’s hungry for more than 80 years. Never have so many people queued for food.

time-read
6 mins  |
Issue 300
Life's Ups And Downs
Big Issue

Life's Ups And Downs

Feeling burnt out? Clinical Psychologist and Business Director at The Human Edge, Helene Vermaak, gives some grounded self-care advice for anyone feeling overstressed or depleted.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 300
WHAT'S ON?
Big Issue

WHAT'S ON?

Get out and about under the spring sun, or enjoy entertainment online from the comfort of your couch …

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 300
SPACE TO REFLECT
Big Issue

SPACE TO REFLECT

When former Big Issue editor, Alicia English, lost her husband to Covid-19 earlier this year, she and her son discovered a novel way to process overwhelming, difficult feelings.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 300
INSPIRATIONAL READING
Big Issue

INSPIRATIONAL READING

Whether you tap, turn pages or listen to audiobooks, an inspirational read can help you relax and see the world differently.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 300
Rough sleeping
Big Issue

Rough sleeping

“Winters are the worst nightmare for us,” says a homeless man in Springs. Temperatures dropped to minus 7º C recently.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 300