Windhoek Inmates Take Legal Action Over Education Restrictions
By TUW
A group of 18 inmates at the Windhoek Correctional Facility has approached the courts, claiming recent administrative changes have made it nearly impossible for them to continue their higher education studies.
The prisoners allege that since new officials assumed key roles in 2025, access to the education laboratory a critical space for online and distance learning has been drastically reduced. Previously available for around six hours each weekday, the facility is now reportedly accessible for only two hours, severely limiting study time.
According to the court filings, the laboratory previously offered supervised and secure access to study resources, including recorded lectures, research materials, assignment preparation tools, and online assessments. Inmates say this arrangement allowed them to maintain academic progress while under the correctional system’s watchful eye.
The restrictions reportedly began soon after the new head of educational services took office in May 2025. Inmates claim she repeatedly referred to them as “spoilt” and emphasized their status as prisoners, expressing frustration over the amount of time they spent in the laboratory. By June, access had been cut to a single hour, and further restrictions were imposed at the end of the first semester, affecting both long-term courses and second-opportunity exam preparations.
In their filings, the inmates explain that some students failed modules because they were unable to prepare adequately for exams. They also claim that the officer-in-charge justified the changes by citing instructions from senior officials to prevent mixing inmates of different security classifications in the laboratory yet, they were never given formal documentation of this policy.
The inmates highlight the ongoing impact on their studies, noting that most of their day is now spent without access to materials essential for coursework, online submissions, and exam readiness. They point to the case of American inmate Kevan Townsend, whose studies were temporarily halted by the same educational head in October 2025. Townsend later regained access following a High Court intervention.
The court has not yet issued a ruling on the matter, which could have broader implications for educational access within the correctional system.
Source: NBC Digital News
