| Location | Pretoria, South Africa |
|---|---|
| Security class | Maximum |
| Managed by | Department of Correctional Services (South Africa) |
C Max is the maximum security division of the Pretoria Correctional Services located in Central Pretoria, South Africa. It is run by the South African Ministry of Correctional Services.
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The division is specifically designed for violent and disruptive prisoners who have been classified as dangerous in terms of the South African Criminal Procedure Act. Prisoners are kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours of each day out and specialized equipment, such as electric shields, are used by the prison guards. It consists of two rows of fifty cells each.
In November 2006, Annanias Mathe became the first person to escape from C Max. Mathe, who has extensive military training gained during Mozambique's civil war, is reported to have escaped by covering his body in Vaseline and squeezing through his tiny cell window (20 cm by 60 cm). Mathe had been detained on more than 50 charges, including murder, rape, armed robbery and hijacking.[1] He was recaptured two weeks after his escape following a large manhunt.[2]