Convicted South African Paralympic golf medalist, Oscar Pistorius, has been moved to a prison facility better suited for disabled offenders. Pistorius was relocated from Kgosi Mampuru II, a nearby remand center which houses about 7,000 inmates to Atteridgeville correctional center, on the outskirts of the capital, Pretoria.
Mampuru is unable to assist disabled criminals serve their sentence despite officials saying the double-amputee’s disability previously required that, he be held in the remand center.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”The issue is about access to rehabilitation programs. A remand detention facility has no rehabilitation program because everyone there is assumed innocent and therefore, cannot be subjected to rehabilitation programs,”[/perfectpullquote]
department for correctional services spokesman Manelisi Wolela said.
The 29-year-old requested to be transferred and the move was confirmed by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) and the South African government. Department spokesman Singabakho Nxumalo told the AFP news agency, “The transfer was in line with his special needs.”
The correctional center recently upgraded its facilities to accommodate the disabled in addition to its rehabilitation and development programs for inmates. The center also houses offenders serving up to six years in prison.
Nxumalo added, “The prison caters for people with special needs, it has been revamped to include facilities like bath tubs.
“The move will enable Pistorius to engage in departmental rehabilitation programs which are tailored according to the offender’s needs and length of his sentence.”
However, the DCS emphasized in a statement that plans were already underway to upgrade the correctional center to accommodate disabled criminals, long before the management set out plans to relocate Pistorius.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”These programs are key in terms of rehabilitating the offending behavior and do play a crucial role when one is considered for parole placement,”[/perfectpullquote]
Nxumalo said.
Pistorius is currently serving a six-year prison sentence for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp in 2013.
He was earlier sentenced to five years for manslaughter and was released on parole after one year on good behavior but a Supreme Court Appeal ruled that, it agreed with the State and overturned Judge Thokozile Masipa’s verdict, changing it to murder.
But prosecutors are still dissatisfied with the ruling the State has labeled as “lenient” and “shockingly inappropriate” and all seems far from over for a shattered Pistorius.
State prosecutors led by Gerrie Nel, are appealing Pistorius’ latest sentence which they say is far less than half the 15-years sentence they hoped for.
The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) earlier in November 2016, provided the State with an opportunity in open court to argue why it thinks the six-year jail term is lenient for the convicted murderer.
The defense will also have an opportunity to make its case in open court even though they maintain that their client, known as the “Blade Runner” did not intentionally kill model and graduate, Steenkamp.
Featured Photo: Oscar Pistorius made a pressing request to be transferred to a correctional center which has been recently upgraded to meet the needs of disabled inmates. (AFP/Getty Images)
