How, in this day and age, is that even a still question? There seems to be this invisible divide between those who are in prison and those who are not. No, I do not mean the fact that some are criminals and some aren’t, I mean that there seems to be this idea that if someone commits a crime and is incarcerated; their right to be treated like a person with needs and wants and desires just goes out the window. So why am I even chatting about this? What does this have to do with current events? (The topic for this week)

WELL, guess what just went by… Women’s day! Hooray hooray for women! Hooray for me being a woman. I am so lucky that my culture, my family and my friends celebrate the fact that I am a woman on a daily basis. Sure, I experience the struggle of men thinking they are better now and then but the fabulous part is, none of those men have a role in my life. My dad just taught me to change a tyre 10 minutes ago. Hooray for being a woman who now knows (like 5 years too late) how to change a tyre. This ramble that I am going on has a point… Promise.

The point is, is that I pride myself on being that woman who makes men feel uncomfortable when they dare think me less than them. My dad bought me up to never accept the standard of treatment I receive unless it is up to the standard I deserve… Which brings me back to this whole jail and prisoners saga. It’s all about standards.

women

Last night I read an article which shook me to the core. It was written by Ruth Hopkins on 4 March 2016 and because of Women’s day, it investigated the plight of women in Pollsmoor prison in Cape Town.

pollsmoor

Several shocking articles/documentaries/studies have been done on Pollsmoor. One needs only to type it into the google search bar to open Pandora’s Box of atrocities. The cells are filled with 70 people when they are built for 30, prisoners sleep on the floor, share one blocked toilet and have no hot water what so ever; it is said that a stay in Pollsmoor prison can be a death sentence if you are one of the unlucky ones (http://mg.co.za/article/2015-12-22-how-pollsmoor-prison-can-kill-you). It’s not just disease that can do it. Last year I worked on a psych case with an individual who was in rehab and had been convicted for a stay at the prison. He was a tough man who rarely showed fear but Pollsmoor was not a topic he discussed. All he told me is that other prisons are child’s play compared to that and that the only way to survive the place was to kill or be killed. It’s horrible to hear that, but the truth isn’t often sunshine and rainbows if we’re honest with ourselves. It was a slap across my face hearing some of his explanations. It woke me up to the life I live and how lucky I am that life didn’t lead me down a path ending in a place like Pollsmoor.

Back to the Hopkins article, it states that the prison is overcrowded by 300%. 300%!!!!!! Who the heck let that happen? The women are also cramped and jammed into a small cell with the same conditions. Lice is everywhere and the place is overrun with cockroaches. Let’s put that into perspective. I see a cockroach and I basically levitate off the ground out of horror before running for my life to get help. If it’s a flying one my soul practically leaves my body. And I KNOW I’m not the only one. Now imagine these insects being your constant, crawly roommates. And they’re just bugs. They’re the least of the prisoners’ worries. Disease such as TB is spread like oxygen is shared and the entire prison has 1 doctor.

I have a valid question to ask as well. One that few like to discuss because it is seen as vile and gross. But what happens when these women menstruate? It’s not something we females choose to do. Once a month, our bodies remind us that while we are not pregnant currently, we hold the awesome power to be so one day. However, I don’t reckon the women in Pollsmoor feel that positive way about it. One toilet which is blocked, no hot water, everything is dirty… Even if they manage to obtain the necessary sanitary materials, you can’t tell me they are able to dispose of them efficiently. The story in the article about the woman whose baby was suspected dead inside of her, she wasn’t seen to, she wasn’t protected… That’s got to emotionally scar someone.

Another thing! The idea of guards/more powerful inmates abusing their power by requiring payment or sexual favours for protection. I mean, come on. You’d honestly think a prison would have the most top notch security and protection.

Not Pollsmoor, that’s for sure.

Let’s flip this coin, just for a second. I’m going to post a link to another happening that occurred recently and how the accused are reacting to it. I will not discuss it, because it makes me sick to do so but for the purpose of this blog, I feel like it needs to be referred to.

http://you.co.za/news/horrific-details-emerge-in-tokai-murder-case/

So when I read articles such as this, I believe that these prisoners can’t be people.  To me, they are criminals who deserve all the mistreatment they get and can rot in hell for all I care.

So why do I care when I read the other articles about how badly these people are treated? Why I do show sympathy when I hear what my client last year had to say, knowing full well what horrendous crimes HE had committed. I didn’t see him as a prisoner, I saw him as a person.

Am I experiencing some strange form of Stockholm Syndrome? Stockholm Syndrome is: “Stockholm syndrome, or capture-bonding, is a psychological phenomenon described in 1973 in which hostages express empathy and sympathy and have positive feelings toward their captors, sometimes to the point of defending and identifying with the captors” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome).

I may not be the person who was affected by these peoples crimes but I am aware they are in prison for a reason, yet I find myself being appalled at their conditions.

Then I also have to ask myself how I would feel if I found out what they did to find themselves in those situations. Did they hurt a child? Did they rape a woman? Even if they told me they hurt an animal, I could guarantee I would change my opinion in some way or another. There are certain crimes that I find unforgivable, that I cannot see past to experience the sympathy and empathy. I think it’s also very easy for me to feel sympathy because I haven’t been victim to these crimes. I have experienced two incidents of crime, nothing too hectic, but one involved my sister being held up alone at home. She is perfectly fine and was not harmed in any way but yoh, I wanted those men who dared even make her feel scared to pay. I can’t imagine how I would feel if she was hurt. Or if they hurt my dogs. I would be out for blood.

So, now that I have COMPLETELY contradicted myself. I’m going to do so again. I find that OT has made me question myself more than clarify anything because in saying that, the OT in me is asking what happened to them to get them into such a precarious situation where they need to steal. I’ll 100% admit though, I am a human. My sistership overrules my OTship in this case. But I think it is important that even for a minute, I am able to stop and think of it in a different perspective.

This blog sounds like it was written by two different people with different views. In truth, I don’t have a final view. Maybe one day I’ll know exactly how I feel about it but for now it is just a discussion, a grey area, worth exploring. I think for now it is okay to be infuriated by the state of the prisons, yet find myself seeing a person as just a prisoner because of what they did to others. I don’t think it’s right, but I think it’s okay. It doesn’t make me some monster and it is kind of hard to admit to being so unsure and agreeing that some people deserve whatever karma throws their way.

I hope I haven’t confused anyone or given the wrong, cruel impression of myself. I’m just exploring the different ways my thoughts work and how my heart influences those patterns too.

The article written by Hopkins:

http://mg.co.za/article/2016-03-03-filth-disease-sex-and-violence-for-pollsmoors-female-inmates/

“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.”
― Nelson Mandela