Coordinates , Population 2,089 Capacity 2,115 | Security class Centre of Excellence Warden Takalani Mashamba Opened 1997 | |
Location Cape Town, South Africa Managed by Department of Correctional Services (South Africa) Address Peninsula Dr, Monte Vista, Cape Town, 7460, South Africa | ||
Goodwood Centre of Excellence or Goodwood Correctional Centre is a medium security prison in Edgemead, Cape Town and run by the South African Department of Correctional Services. Despite its location in Edgemead the prison is named after the nearby neighbourhood of Goodwood.
Background
The centre was established in 1997 to accommodate awaiting trial detainees. Due to overcrowding within the South African prison system -most notably at Pollsmoor, Drakenstein, Helderstroom- the centre was converted into a "Centre of Excellence". Thereby allowing it to better accommodate sentenced prisoners in addition to awaiting trial detainees. Due to the prison's focus on prisoner education and reform as well as it's better quality prison facilities it has been dubbed a "five-star jail" by the South African media. By 2010/11 the prison had a 113% occupancy rate.