….. Look to inhibit inmates from escaping.
BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE– Orange is the new look.
His Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS) inmates have been revamped and now spot a brighter color.
Spotted yesterday by this publication at the Mbabane Government Hospital (MGH) the inmates looked dapper in an orange ensemble.
The HMCS has done away with the color that has been used all along which was brown.
One of the inmates spoken to with permission from the guarding officer said it had been some time since they all received their new wardrobe.
He further said this meant for prisoners who might try escaping, it might prove a bit difficult because the orange color is easy to spot and identify in public.
“We were given this new uniform months ago, I cannot remember the exact date but it has been some time and I’m personally happy with the outfit,” he said.
The one-piece overall is embellished with black stars all over, and looks a little similar to the inmate looks that we have seen in movies and the neighboring South African prison inmates.
Meanwhile a clinical Psychologist Innocentia Ndwandwe said the new uniforms were a positive sign and quite motivating for them.
Ndwandwe said one would remember that inmates were humans too, receiving character rehabilitation and they deserved it, as this will inhibit them from escaping their rehabilitation.
According to the Internet, Prison uniforms are intended to make prisoners instantly identifiable, limit risks through concealed objects and prevent injuries through undesignated clothing objects.
A prison uniform can also spoil attempts of escape, as prison uniforms typically use a design and color scheme that is easily noticed and identified even at a greater distance.
It was not until the 1970s, jails started putting prisoners in orange uniforms; in California, for example, prisoners must wear orange or red when they are being transported, or visiting outside the prison.
