Handed life sentences for committing heinous murder crimes, a group of Westville prisoners are using education as a tool to fight for their independence – and their release on parole. A Sunday Tribune report says they have used knowledge gained from their studies while serving long-term sentences to draft and file court papers against the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Michael Masutha, in a bid to force his department to speed up their parole applications.

Court papers have been filed in the KZN High Court (Durban) by the 11 inmates and the matter has been set down for 8 March. The prisoners who have brought the application have all been convicted of murder. Inmates Erwin Christmas and Butie Dlamini, who are doing their MBA and Master of Law respectively, drafted the papers.

Christmas said that more than 100 prisoners sentenced to life sentences in Medium B were overdue for parole. ‘We believe we are held back deliberately, so that an inflated budget can be drawn in order to perpetuate corrupt ends.’ He said they wanted to send a strong message to the officials by placing a dozen ‘lifers’ every month in court over the crisis until the matter was resolved.

Full Sunday Tribune report (subscription needed)