"Telling our stories": exploring and documenting the lived experiences of sexual and gender-diverse offenders in two South African correctional facilities

Abstract

Introduction: Despite having one of the world’s most progressive and inclusive constitutions, South Africa continues to experience significant discrimination and victimisation perpetuated against the LGBTQ+ population. Dehumanising practices are evident in all social institutions, including correctional institutions. While correctional facilities are seen as enclosed institutions, in reality, carceral cultures and practices are continuously influenced and shaped by practices from free society. This means that homophobic beliefs and attitudes in free society find their way into correctional facilities. Unique correctional cultures and practices also function to uphold heteronormativity, thus denying diverse sexual and gender identities. Although these are the seemingly dominant practices, this does not negate multifaceted and positive practices related to sexual and gender diversity in these spaces. Aim: This study aims to explore and document the lived experiences of sexual and gender-diverse offenders in two South African correctional facilities located in the Gauteng province. Method: This study uses social constructionism to understand and interpret participants’ narratives and experiences. Social constructionism holds that “truths”, experiences and practices are socially constructed. The qualitative method was used to capture the depth and richness of the participants’ experiences. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data with a particular focus on reflective thematic analysis, which stresses the importance of the researcher's subjectivity in the data collection and analysis. Findings: Five primary themes were identified: 1) Segregation vs integration captured the participants’ experiences related to placement, whether in special care or general sections. Overall, the participants reported adverse experiences in special care sections. 2) Sexual and gender identities in the context of incarceration broadly spoke to the continuum of sexual diversity. The participants’ narratives highlighted the “endlessness” of sexual identities. Some participants expressed that they found liberation in incarceration regarding their sexual and gender identities. 3) Systemic homophobia presented participants’ experiences of homophobia, discrimination and marginalisation perpetuated by correctional officials and offenders. 4) Relationships in correctional spaces spoke to issues surrounding intimate relationships in correctional spaces. Some participants narrated experiences of developing meaningful connections with others. 5) The last theme narrated the resilience of sexual and gender-diverse offenders despite the challenges they experienced in correctional institutions. The overarching experiences reported by participants were those of systemic homophobia and victimisation primarily perpetrated by correctional officials. The pervasive and often blatant discrimination and marginalisation narrated by participants portray correctional facilities as ‘no place for sexual and gender diverse people’. However, participants also reported positive experiences such as sense of liberation in the expression of their diverse identities and building meaningful relationships with others. Despite having to deal with systemic homophobia, participants demonstrated great resilience and strength and found constructive ways of engaging with the carceral environment. This study outlined a few key recommendations that ultimately speak to the need for the revision of DCS incarceration policies and procedures to safeguard the human rights and ensure the safe detention of sexual and gender diverse offenders.

Isingeniso: Naphezu kokuba nomthethosisekelo emhlabeni onenqubekela phambili futhi obandakanya wonke umuntu, iNingizimu Afrika isaqhubeka nokucwaswa nokuhlukunyezwa okugqugquzelwa ebantwini be-LGBTQ+. Imikhuba elulaza ubuntu iyabonakala kuzo zonke izikhungo zezenhlalakahle, kuhlanganise nezikhungo zokuqondiswa kwezimilo. Nakuba izikhungo zokuqondiswa kwezimilo zithathwa njengezikhungo ezivalekile, empeleni, amasiko nezinqubo zokuziphatha ejele zilokhu zithonywa futhi zakhiwe yizinqubo ezivela emphakathini okhululekile. Lokhu kusho ukuthi izinkolelo zokucwaswa kokuthandana kobulili obufanayo kanye nesimo sengqondo emphakathini okhululekile zithola indlela yazo ezikhungweni zokuqondiswa kwezimilo. Amasiko nezinqubo zokuqondisa ezihlukile ziphinde zisebenze ukuze kugcinwe umqondo wokuthi ubulili obuhlukile buyindlela evamile, ngaleyo ndlela kunqabe ukukhonjwa okuhlukahlukene kwezocansi nobulili. Nakuba lezi kuyizinqubo ezibonakala zinamandla, lokhu akuphikisani nemikhuba ehlukahlukene nelungile ehlobene nokuhlukahluka kwezocansi nobulili kulezi zikhala.

Inhloso: Inhloso yalolu cwaningo bekuwukuhlola kanye nokubhala phansi izehlakalo zezaphulamthetho zocansi nezobulili ezihlukene ezikhungweni ezimbili zokuqondiswa kwezimilo zaseNingizimu Afrika ezisesifundazweni saseGauteng. Indlela: Umbono woqoqo lolwazi nokudaleka kwezimo zomphakathi wasetshenziselwa ukuqonda nokuhumusha ukulandisa kwabahlanganyeli. Umbono woqoqo lolwazi nokudaleka kwezimo zomphakathi ubamba ukuthi "amaqiniso", nemikhuba yakhiwe emphakathini. Indlela ngokuchazayo yasetshenziswa ukuze kuthathwe ukujula nokunotha kokuhlangenwe nakho kwabahlanganyeli. Kusetshenziswe ukuhlaziya indikimba ekuhlaziyeni imininingwane kugxilwe kakhulu ekuhlaziyeni indikimba echazayo, okugcizelela ukubaluleka kokuzicabangela komcwaningi ekuqoqweni nasekuhlaziyeni imininingwane. Imiphumela: Izindikimba ezinhlanu eziyinhloko zihlonziwe: 1) Ukuhlukaniswa nokuhlanganisa kwagcina ukuhlangenwe nako kwabahlanganyeli okuhlobene nokubekwa, kungaba ngokunakekelwa okukhethekile noma izigaba ezijwayelekile. Sekukonke, abahlanganyeli babike abahlangene nako okubi ezigabeni zokunakekelwa okukhethekile. 2) Ubunikazi kwezocansi nobulili esimeni sokuboshwa kukhulunywe kabanzi ngokuqhubeka kokuhlukahluka kwezocansi. Ukulandisa kwabahlanganyeli kugqamise "ukungapheli" kobunikazi kwezocansi nobulili. Abanye abahlanganyeli bazwakalise ukuthi bathole inkululeko ekuboshweni mayelana nobunikazi babo kwezocansi nobulili. 3) Uhlelo lokucwaswa lokuthandana kobulili obufanayo lwethula okuhlangenwe nakho kwabahlanganyeli mayelana nokucwaswa kokuthandana kobulili obufanayo, ukucwaswa kanye nokubukelwa phansi okugqugquzelwa yizikhulu zokuqondiswa kwezimilo kanye nezephulamthetho. 4) Ubudlelwano ezindaweni zokuqondiswa kwezimilo bukhulume ngezindaba ezithinta ubudlelwano bezocansi ezindaweni zokuqondiswa kwezimilo. Abanye abahlanganyeli balandisa okuhlangenwe nakho kokuthuthukisa ukuxhumana okunenjongo nabanye. 5) Indikimba yokugcina ikhulume ngokukhuthazela kwezigebengu zocansi nezobulili ezihlukene naphezu kwezinselelo abahlangabezane nazo ezikhungweni zokuqondiswa kwezimilo. Izehlakalo ezivelele ezibikwe ngabahlanganyeli yilezo zokucwaswa kwabantu abathandanayo bobulili obufanayo kanye nokuhlukunyezwa okwenziwa ikakhulukazi yizikhulu zokuhlunyeleliswa kwezimilo. Ukucwasa nokucwaswa okugcwele futhi okuvame ukuba sobala okulandiswa ngabahlanganyeli kuveza izindawo zokuhlunyeleliswa kwezimilo njengokuthi “ayikho indawo yabantu abahlukene ngokocansi nabahlukene ngokobulili” Kodwa-ke, abahlanganyeli baphinde babika okuhlangenwe nakho okuhle, okufana nomuzwa wenkululeko ekuvezeni ubunjalo babo obuhlukahlukene kanye nokwakha ubudlelwano obunenjongo nabanye. Naphezu kokubhekana nokucwaswa kwabantu abathandanayo bobulili obufanayo, abahlanganyeli babonise ukuqina okukhulu namandla futhi bathola izindlela ezakhayo zokuzibandakanya nendalo yasejele. Lolu cwaningo luveze iziphakamiso ezimbalwa ezibalulekile ezigcina zikhuluma ngesidingo sokubuyekezwa kwezinqubomgomo nezinqubo zokuboshwa zoMnyango Wezinsizakalo Zokuhlunyeleliswa Kwezimilo (DCS) ukuze kuvikelwe amalungelo abantu futhi kuqinisekiswe ukuboshwa okuphephile kwezaphula mthetho eziphathelene ezahlukile ngokocansi ngokobulili.

Matseno: Le fa Aforikaborwa e na le mongwe wa melaotheo e e akaretsang e bile e na le tswelelopele, e tswelela go nna le tlhaolo le tshotlo e e lebisitsweng kwa setlhopheng sa LGBTQ+. Go tswelela go nna le ditiragatso tse di swabisang mo ditheong tsa setšhaba, go akarediwa ditheo tsa kgopololo. Le fa ditlamelo tsa kgopololo di tsewa e le ditheo tse di tswaletsweng, mekgwa le tiragatso ya botshwarwa e tswelela go tlhotlhelediwa le go bopiwa ke setšhaba se se kwa ntle. Seno se kaya gore mekgwa le ditumelo tse di kgatlhanong le batho ba ba ratanang le ba bong bo bo tshwanang tsa batho ba ba kwa ntle di tswelela go fetela mo dith eong tsa kgopololo. Mekgwa le ditiragatso tse di kgethegileng tsa kgopololo le tsona di tsweletsa kamogelo ya mokgwatlwaelo wa go ratana ga banna le basadi, mme ka go rialo e iletsa boitshupo jo bo methalethale jwa boitlhophelo jwa thobalano le bong. Le f a ditiragatso tseno di bonala di fekeetsa, seno ga se ganetse gore go na le ditiragatso tsa maphatamantsi tse di amanang le methalethale ya boitlhophelo jwa thobalano le bong mo mafelong a mangwe. Maikaelelo: Maikaelelo a thutopatlisiso eno e ne e le go tlhotlhomisa le go kwala maitemogelo a bagolegwa ka bong le boitlhophelo jwa thobalano jwa methalethale kwa ditlamelong tse pedi tsa kgopololo tsa Aforikaborwa kwa porofenseng ya Gauteng. Mmeo:Go dirisitswe mmeo wa kagoloago go tlhaloganya le go ranola dikanelo le maitemogelo a banni le seabe. Kagoloago e dumela gore “dinnete”, maitemogelo le ditiragatso di agwa mo loagong. Go dirisitswe mmeo wa khwalithatifi go bona boteng le khumo ya maitemog elo a banni le seabe. Go dirisitswe tokololo go ya ka merero go lokolola data go totilwe tokololo go ya ka merero le itshekatsheko, e e gatelelang botlhokwa jwa gore mmatlisisi a se ke a tsaya letlhakore mo kokoanyong le mo tokololong ya data . Dipoelo:Go supilwe merero e metlhano ya tshimologo: 1) Tlhaolo mo boemong jwa kopano e tlhagisitswe e le maitemogelo a banni le seabe malebana le ntlha ya go isiwa kwa lefelong, e ka nna kwa dikarolong tsa tlhokomelo e e kgethegileng gongwe tsa kakaretso. Ka kakar etso, banni le seabe ba begile fa ba nnile le maitemogelo a a maswe mo dikarolong tsa tlhokomelo e e kgethegileng. 2) Boitshupo jwa boitlhophelo jwa thobalano le bong mo bokaelong jwa kgolegelo bo tlhagisa tsweletso ya methalethale ya boitlhophelo jwa thob alano. Dikanelo tsa banni le seabe di bontshitse “go sa khutleng” ga boitshupo jwa boitlhophelo jwa thobalano. Banni le seabe ba bangwe ba tlhagisitse fa ba bone kgololesego mo kgolegelong malebana le boitshupo jwa boitlhophelo jwa thobalano le bong. 3) B anni le seabe ba itemogetse letlhoo kgatlhanong le batho ba ba ratanang le batho ba bong jo bo tshwanang, go tlhaolwa le go kgaphelwa thoko go go diragaditsweng ke batlhankedi ba kgopololo le bagolegwa . 4) Dikamano tsa kwa dikgolegelong di tlhagisa dintlh a tse di ka ga dikamano tsa marato mo dikgolegelong. Banni le seabe bangwe ba tlhagisitse maitemogelo a go nna le dikgolagano tse di molemo le ba bangwe. 5) Morero wa bofelo o anetse kgotlhelelo ya bagolegwa ba boitlhophelo jwa thobalano le bong jwa metha lethale le fa ba ntse ba itemogela dikgwetlho mo ditheong tsa kgopololo. Maitemogelomagolo a a begilweng ke banni le seabe ke a letlhoo le le akaretsang kgatlhanong le batho ba ba ratanang le batho ba bong jo bo tshwanang le go tshwarwa makgwakgwa go go diragaditsweng thata ke batlhankedi ba kgopololo. Go tlhaolwa go go mo pepeneneng e bile go sa fele go go tlhagisitsweng ke banni le seabe go bontsha fa ditlamelo tsa kgopololo “e se mafelo a a siametseng batho ba boitlhophelo jwa thobalano le bong jwa methalethale”. Le gale banni le seabe ba begile gape maitemogelo a a siameng a tshwana le go ikutlwa ba gololesegile go tlhagisa boitshupo jwa bona jwa methalethale le go nna le dikamano tse di molemo le ba bangwe. Le fa ba itemogetse letlhoo la batho ba ba ratanang le ba bong jo bo tshwanang, banni le seabe ba bontshitse kgotlhelelo e kgolo le maatla mme ba iponetse ditsela tsa go samagana le seemo sa kwa kgolegelong. Thutopatlisiso eno e tlhagisitse dikatlenegiso di le mmalwa tse tota di tlhagisang botlhokwa jwa gore go sekasekwe dipholisi le ditsamaiso tsa dikgolegelo tsa Lefapha la Ditirelo tsa Kgopololo (DCS) go sireletsa ditshwanelo tsa botho le go netefatsa pabalesego ya bagolegwa ba boitlhophelo jwa thobalano le bong jwa methalethale.