Landmark ruling: Inmates can now study with personal laptops

IN A VICTORY for prisoners across South Africa, the Constitutional Court ruled that they can use their computers to study in their cells, provided they are registered students and the computers are without a modem.

- ZELDA VENTER

In a unanimous judgment, the court declared the current policy of Correctional Services that bars inmates from using their laptops or computers for studying purposes, unconstitutional.

The department was given a year to promulgate a revised policy.

In the meantime, the Concourt ordered that studying inmates may use their laptops in their cells.

The court, however, made it clear that this case was concerned only with the rights of prisoners to personal computers for educational purposes.

"Nothing in this judgment should be regarded as expressing any view on the justifiability of restrictions on the use of personal computers in cells for any other purposes," the court said.