Children in Prison in South Africa - Community Law Centre

Figure 7 shows the length of sentences being servedby children aged 14 to 17 years by age on 6 August1997.FIGURE 7CHILDREN AGED 14-17 YEARS SERVINGSENTENCES ON 6/8/97The researcher who visited Odi Prison at North WestProvince interviewed six prisoners whose sentencesappeared to vary dramatically, and sometimesseemed disproportionate in relation to the offences ofwhich they had been convicted. Four of the boys hadbeen convicted of housebreaking and theft. In allcases the amounts had been small (R200 andclothes, a television and shoes, clothes, food from ashop). One boy was sentenced to seven yearsimprisonment, of which four were suspended. Onereceived two years and another a twelve month sentence.The boy who had stolen cool drinks, sweetsand chips from a shop had been sentenced to eightyears, no portion of which was suspended, althoughthere may have been previous convictions.At the same prison, a boy was serving a sentence of21 months (to run concurrently with another sentence)for possession of an unlicensed firearm andammunition. Another had been convicted of assaultand had received a sentence involving six months inprison and six months under correctional supervision.Where there were co-accusedi *Many of the children were sentenced with coaccused,some of them much older than themselves.At Leeuwkop Medium B, a 16 year old child firstoffender was serving a 10 year sentence for robberyand vehicle theft. He is a homeless person with noeducation and his co-accused was a 46 year oldman who, he said, had instigated the crime.At St Albans, a boy of 14 years old had been sentencedfor housebreaking and theft. He had a previousconviction for housebreaking and was given fourcuts. On both occasions he had an older coaccused.He said he lived in Walmer in a shack. Hismother-had died in 1990 and he is supported by hisfather who receives a disability grant. He had notbeen visited since he was in prison.At Odi, (see above for some detailed discussion ofsentences at this prison), most of the crimes hadbeen committed with at least one co-accused. Mostof the co-accused were 22 or 23 years of age.CHILDREN IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM