St Albans warders in prison hell

DESCRIBED by authorities as the most violent prison in the Eastern Cape, the stabbing of two St Albans Correctional Services officers within four days of each other following a string of similar attacks has prompted an emergency meeting today to address the crisis.

There have been 28 attacks by inmates on warders in the past 18 months with one warder claiming there are only four officials to oversee about 600 inmates in the prison's maximum security section.

The latest stabbings have prompted the SA Correctional Services Workers' Union (Sacoswu) to investigate legal action against management, calling the situation "an out-of-hand crisis".

To address the issue, high-ranking officials from the department's national office will arrive in Port Elizabeth today.

The call for action comes after two officers were stabbed in the head and face in separate incidents by inmates on Friday and Monday. - Gareth Wilson