Prison Journalism: How Sticks escaped from prison to go to his mother’s funeral

Let me tell you about Sticks, a friend of mine in prison who escaped. In our cells, we have cellphones – the entire prison has cellphones. The wardens provide them. My friend Sticks received a call one night, and the phone was with me since I like to make my calls after 20:00 when I know that I will speak with to family members.

Devastating news hits Sticks in prison

One late night, the phone rang, and a lady was speaking and crying. I had to wake Sticks up. I told him someone was on the line for him. He answered, and the next thing I knew, Sticks started to cry. I stood up and asked him what was wrong. He told me that his mother had passed away.

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I think it was a Friday, and by Monday, he had started to report his mother’s death to the officers. They acknowledged him, but when he reported it again the next day, there was still no response. That night, he told the three prison gangs: 26, 27, and 28. We advised him to wait for the officers. Now, it was Thursday.

The bold escape plan

Sticks told the ouens (fellows) that we must remember to dress in orange clothes on Saturday. That Friday night, he said he would be gone in the kitchen. An officer came around at 2:00 or 2:30 in the morning. The prison didn’t care about private clothes, as other guys had private clothes. Sticks had private clothes, too.

I was working at the office block, and the warden’s mistake was to open the door and go to the toilet. Sticks went out, and when the warden returned, all the guys started going to the kitchen. The second mistake was that the officer didn’t count the chefs.

Sticks changed out of the orange clothes and into private ones on the prison roof. Where I was sleeping, I saw Sticks on the roof. The next thing I knew, Sticks was gone.

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Sticks told us that he arrived at the funeral, but no one thought he would escape prison. He went to his family, and his aunt asked him:

“What the f**k are you doing here?” He said, “I am at my mother’s funeral.” She asked about prison, and he said, “After the funeral, I am going back.”

Return to prison

After eating, he made a phone call, wanting to speak to the principal of the prison.

“Can you send your boys to come and pick me up? I am at my mom’s funeral. I will wait for your boys,” Sticks said. The principal went crazy. Sticks said that 10 minutes was too long. They arrived there, but they had to wait until the funeral finished. Sticks was a hero in prison. 

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DISCLAIMER: Submission published as received

RESTORE is an NGO based in Cape Town, South Africa, providing inmates at Pollsmoor Prison with restorative justice opportunities.

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