Prison Journalism: Remand v. SentencedDean Mashimbwe, a Zimbabwean migrant residing in Cape Town, was incarcerated at Pollsmoor Correctional Centre from 2016 until 2017.
by Dean Mashimbwe
09-02-2024 09:31
in Prison Journalism
Prison Image by Unsplash
As someone who went to prison both on remand and as a sentenced inmate, in this article, I would like to emphasize the differences between being on remand and being a sentenced or a convicted inmate.
--
Understanding Remand A remand prisoner is someone who hasn't been found guilty of an offence and is not yet sentenced. Being found guilty is also called being convicted, and then you are sentenced. You can also be on remand if you have been found guilty; you are only waiting to be sentenced. If you are a remand prisoner, the prison keeps you until your next court appearance.
My Experience with Remand Also, remand is the detention of an accused offender by a court as you wait for your date when you can get your sentence. In 2016, when I went to prison, I was sent to remand as I waited for the detective to investigate my case and to verify my address to see if I was eligible for bail.
ALSO READ: Prison Journalism: Recreation and rehabilitation in jail
--
Differences in Treatment: Remand vs Sentenced Inmates The biggest difference between inmates on remand and those who are sentenced, for instance, when we were in Pollsmoor, is inmates on remand are allowed to wear their clothes, but those who are long on trial wear yellow uniforms, but sentenced prisoners in Pollsmoor in medium A, which is for juveniles, we used to wear navy blue uniforms, while in medium B, they wear orange.
The Reality of Remand According to my own experience, I would say inmates on remand in maximum prison are the main attention of the prison; that's where gangsterism activities are mainly performed, smuggling of drugs, marijuana, and mobile phones. The inmates in remand are too overcrowded, and violence is the order of the day. I was in remand myself but not at maximum prison; I was at the juvenile section when I was assaulted because I had refused to wash the clothes of a gang member. With the things that I saw, I can say you are more likely to survive better in prison as a convicted prisoner than being on remand.
ALSO READ: Prison Journalism: The Rat Game - Life
--
Visitation Differences Even the visiting days for sentenced prisoners are different from those on remand. In Pollsmoor, sentenced prisoners have their certain day allocated for their visits, while those in remand are allowed to have visitors every day as they will also be visited by their lawyers.
Mental Impact of Remand vs Sentencing The mentality you have as a sentenced inmate and the sentence you have as an inmate in remand is so different because if you are sentenced, you know your fate; you know your future, that you are serving your sentence. When you complete it, you go home, but when you are on remand, you are always stressful; you don't know if you are going home or not; you don't know how much sentence you are going to be given. As someone who experienced it, I would not want to be in remand again; being in remand in Pollsmoor Prison is a terrible experience, especially at the maximum section; that's where the whole action is taking place. Due to violence, inmates are forced to join gangsterism to protect themselves.
ALSO READ: Prison Journalism: Religion in Prison
Privileges of Sentenced Inmates When you are sentenced as an inmate, you got more privilege than someone in remand; you might get work in prison when you see the parole board to reduce prison stress; you may attend programs. The time will be moving fast because you are not thinking too much, unlike when you are on remand.
I can conclude that if you are sentenced, you permanently belong to the prison, unlike on remand; you have the big chances of going home at any time, either by bail or by being given a suspended sentence. But when you are sentenced, you have to wait until your sentence is finished, unless if you get parole.
ALSO READ: Prison Journalism: The New Year's impact on inmates' perspectives
DISCLAIMER: Submission published as received
Should you wish to assist in the rehabilitation of former inmates and help put money into the pockets of those who have struggled to earn a living during and after incarceration, click HERE
RESTORE is an NGO based in Cape Town, South Africa, providing inmates at Pollsmoor Prison with restorative justice opportunities.
If you have any questions you would like to ask our prison journalists, WhatsApp us on 060 011 0211.
Do you have contact with a prison inmate who would like to write for The South African website? If so, send an email to info@thesouthafrican.com or a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
You can also follow @TheSAnews on Twitter and The South African on Facebook to get the latest prison journalism articles.
Support Women in Journalism in 2024 - Support us to fund independent women journalism
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
06/04/2026
Michigan legends bring a new voice to the broadcast as TNT Sports and CBS Sports...
06/04/2026
From high school sports all the way up to the major leagues, building high-quali...
06/04/2026
Quickplay, an AI company for the media and entertainment industry, has been accepted into the Advanced tier of the TwelveLabs Ecosystem Partner Program. Quickpl...
06/04/2026
Grass Valley has announced the Future Playmakers Program, a global initiative to...
06/04/2026
El l der de operaciones impulsa la producci n en estudio mientras encuentra insp...
06/04/2026
The ops leader helps lead the charge in studio for the Spanish-language broadcas...
06/04/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
06/04/2026
The National Hockey League (NHL), in partnership with Verizon and the New Jersey Devils, today announced the opening of the NHL Innovation Lab powered by Verizo...
06/04/2026
Rock League, a new professional curling league, has announced that ESPN+ will stream its inaugural 2026 season for fans in the United States. The first Rock Lea...
06/04/2026
Advanced Systems Group has announced the appointment of Andrea (Andy) Cummis as Vice President of Systems Design and Engineering. In this role, she will lead de...
06/04/2026
Backed by Bolt Ventures, the venture brings Bryson DeChambeau, Grant Horvat, and...
06/04/2026
With this environment we can start that collaboration even earlier because we ca...
06/04/2026
Like the immortal lives of vampires, some stories never really end. That's t...
06/04/2026
As podcasting continues to evolve, growth increasingly means building beyond aud...
06/04/2026
Multiband dynamics plug-in enhanced
California-based developer FSK Audio have released a significant update for their innovative multiband dynamics processo...
06/04/2026
Share official & user-created full-rig presets
IK Multimedia's latest TONEX update makes it possible for users of the popular amp and effects modelling ...
06/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/04/2026
Dalet Showcases Dalia Agentic AI and End-to-End Media Workflows at NAB Show 2026
Brie Clayton April 6, 2026
0 Comments
Dalet, a leading technology and...
06/04/2026
OpenDrives Shows Off Sports Expertise in Sports Business Hub located in NAB Show...
06/04/2026
Proton to Demonstrate 3D Application at NAB 2026
Brie Clayton April 6, 2026
0 Comments
Yet further creative potential unleashed through innovation in ...
06/04/2026
Autoscript Highlights Voice-Driven Prompting and PTZ Solutions at NAB 2026
Brie Clayton April 6, 2026
0 Comments
Experience Autoscript Voice, PTZ prom...
06/04/2026
Mediaproxy Highlights Significant Enhancements to its LogServer suite at NAB Sho...
06/04/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Expands Kids Entertainment Lineup With Playground App ...
05/04/2026
Tackles all reported bugs!
SoundBridge have just announced the launch of a new update that introduces a couple of minor changes to their remote collaboratio...
04/04/2026
The University of Arizona's Men's Basketball team has only loss twice th...
04/04/2026
1080p HDR arrives, a new generation of storytelling tools takes center stage, an...
04/04/2026
Michigan legends bring a new voice to the broadcast as TNT Sports and CBS Sports...
04/04/2026
Faster, cleaner and more intuitive than ever
The control software for Flock Audio's digitally controlled patchbay systems has just been treated to an up...
04/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/04/2026
DHD Introduces AI-Based Audio Noise Reduction to XD3 IP Core
Brie Clayton April 3, 2026
0 Comments
The accompanying image shows the rear panel of the ...
04/04/2026
Macnica Redefines ST 2110 Flexibility with Two Speeds on One Card
Brie Clayton April 3, 2026
0 Comments
New for NAB Show 2026, MEP100 SmartNIC now sup...
04/04/2026
Unified Media Workflows for Story-Centric Production
Brie Clayton April 3, 2026
0 Comments
Framelight X unifies field capture, editing and publishing ...
03/04/2026
Michigan's Fab Five will reunite for an alternate presentation of the Mich...
03/04/2026
Avid will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (April 18-22, Booth N2226, Las Vegas Convention Center), demonstrating its Content Core platform and new AI-driven workflow c...
03/04/2026
Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC) has announced the appointment of Nick Barthee as Chief Operating Officer.
The announcement follows MRMC's transition fro...
03/04/2026
Interra Systems has announced that Elite Media Technologies has selected its BATON file-based QC solution for media workflows. Elite Media Technologies speciali...
03/04/2026
Ateme has announced that Moldtelecom has deployed Ateme technologies across its streaming workflow, covering encoding, delivery, operations, and analytics.
Mol...
03/04/2026
Grass Valley will demonstrate Framelight X, its content management platform, at NAB Show 2026. The platform connects capture, ingest, editing, and publishing in...
03/04/2026
Encompass Digital Media and Techex have announced a cloud-native Master Control ...
03/04/2026
Live Vertical Video automatically track the action on the court via AI technology and delivers a fully optimized, 9 16 live feed for viewers...
03/04/2026
As the Illini make their first trip to college basketball's biggest stage si...
Prison Journalism: Remand v. SentencedDean Mashimbwe, a Zimbabwean migrant residing in Cape Town, was incarcerated at Pollsmoor Correctional Centre from 2016 until 2017.
