Prison’s new bakery raises hopes, saves money

THE opening of the Durban Management Area Bakery at Westville Prison is for the benefit of taxpayers and the rehabilitation of inmates, says Correctional Services Minister, Pieter Groenewald.

- THOBEKA NGEMA

“This bakery can bake 3 840 loaves of bread daily. The rate is about 480 an hour,” he said.

“We have almost 50 inmates involved in the bakery, meaning they get a pre-training and then they also rotate in certain ways to ensure that they also are practically part of the process.”

Groenewald said this is part of rehabilitation, ensuring that when the inmates leave Correctional Services facilities, they are successfully reintegrated into society.

“When they finish here, they will receive a certificate to say that, and this is part of their skills they have learned in Correctional Services, so it’s a dual benefit for the inmates on the one side and the taxpayers on the other side,’ Groenewald said.