DCS assumes control of Mangaung prison, renames it Grootvlei Maximum Correctional Centre

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has taken full operational control of the former Mangaung Correctional Centre and renamed the facility Grootvlei Maximum Correctional Centre. The move follows the expiry of a 25-year public-private partnership agreement that ran until 30 June.

End of a 25-year partnership

The transition came after the Department’s 25-year Public Private Partnership (PPP) with Bloemfontein Correctional Contracts (BCC), operated by G4S, ended on 30 June. With the PPP concluded, DCS has assumed management and operational responsibility for the facility.

Where the centre sits in the system

The correctional centre will now operate under the Grootvlei Management Area within the Free State/Northern Cape Region. DCS said the centre is operating in accordance with the Correctional Services Act, 1998 (Act No. 111 of 1998), and with all applicable policies, regulations and operational standards that govern correctional services in South Africa.

Transition and operations

According to the department, the facility remains fully operational and there has been no disruption to daily activities during the handover. DCS said extensive planning supported a seamless transfer of management while maintaining the safe, secure and humane detention of inmates.

Policy aims and emphasis

DCS stated that bringing the prison under direct state management is intended to reinforce the government’s commitment to a correctional system that upholds constitutional values, promotes rehabilitation and reintegration, and prioritises public safety.