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BLADE SLAMMER

Inside Oscar Pistorius’ hellhole jail where inmates are raped by gang members in brutal turf wars

The 29-year-old is expected to be jailed in the feared Kgosi Mampuru II prison where gang members and death row prisoners rule

CRAMPED in a cell barely 2x2m, Oscar Pistorius will have years to contemplate what he did to the woman he said he loved.

The disgraced Olympic champion was sentenced to six in prison for killing model and law student Reeva Steenkamp - shooting her four times through the bathroom door on the morning of Valentine's Day three years ago.

More than 7000 inmates are kept at the notorious prison with the jails notoriety continuing from apartheid days
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More than 7,000 inmates are kept at the notorious prison with the jail's notoriety continuing from apartheid daysCredit: Sizwe Ndingane / Barcroft Media
The prison cell where Oscar Pistorius stayed, at the Kgosi Mampuru II Prison, includes a small bed and barred windows
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The prison cell where Oscar Pistorius stayed, at the Kgosi Mampuru II Prison, includes a small bed and barred windowsCredit: Getty Images
This is the prison where Oscar Pistorius will reportedly serve out a five year sentence for the death of his girlfriend Reeva
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This is the prison where Oscar Pistorius will reportedly serve out a six-year sentence for the murder of his girlfriend ReevaCredit: Sizwe Ndingane / Barcroft Media
Inmates sit on the window of their cell in the Kgosi Mampuru II
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Inmates sit on the window of their cell in the Kgosi Mampuru IICredit: Getty Images

He has already spent one year in the Kgosi Mampuru II prison, also known as Pretoria Central Prison, while serving time in the hospital section of the prison for his initial conviction of culpable manslaughter.

There, gang members rule, reportedly threatening others with rape or trying to extort them for protection money.

South African prison gangs even use HIV infection as punishment, infecting those who are disobedient.

The cramped quarters have little luxury with the bare minimum given to the hardened criminals imprisoned there.

Pistorius is likely to be given a grey metal bed with two prison-issue pillows and a stainless steel basin next to his bed.

The dirty yellow walls also offer little comfort to the prisoners who have a vicious pecking order and enforce it violently.

A strong culture of gangs permeates the jail with inmates using the threat of HIV infection to punish those who disobey them
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A strong culture of gangs permeates the jail with inmates using the threat of HIV infection to punish those who disobey themCredit: Sizwe Ndingane / Barcroft Media
Pistorius will be given the standard issue orange jumpsuit on arrival and be stripped of his belongings
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Pistorius will be given the standard issue orange jumpsuit on arrival and be stripped of his belongingsCredit: Sizwe Ndingane / Barcroft Media
The guards have maintained they will not give Pistorius special treatment
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The guards have maintained they will not give Pistorius special treatmentCredit: Sizwe Ndingane / Barcroft Media
Pistorius will be surrounded by fellow murderers and gang members while in jail
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Pistorius will be surrounded by fellow murderers and gang members while in jailCredit: Sizwe Ndingane / Barcroft Media

Now, as Judge Thokozile Masipa hands down the six-year prison sentence, the double amputee will return to the cramped cell as punishment for the brutal murder.

Immediately after being sentenced by the judge, he will be taken down to the court cells before being transferred to the prison.

Once there, he will have his own clothes and belongings confiscated and instead be given a standard issue orange prison uniform.

While Pistorius would be allowed to have his prosthetic legs, he could be forced to hand them over to staff at night.

The jail has had a notorious reputation since apartheid, when seven people could be hanged at once
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The jail has had a notorious reputation since apartheid, when seven people could be hanged at onceCredit: Sizwe Ndingane / Barcroft Media
Inmates must stay confined for 23 hours and are only allowed one hour of exercise
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Inmates must stay confined for 23 hours and are only allowed one hour of exerciseCredit: Sizwe Ndingane / Barcroft Media
Pistorius will spend time at the giant facility on the outskirts of the capital crams 17 narrow, rusting bunk beds into communal cells measuring around 100ft by 30ft
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Pistorius will spend time at the giant facility on the outskirts of the capital crams 17 narrow, rusting bunk beds into communal cells measuring around 100ft by 30ft and be subjected to regular raidsCredit: Sizwe Ndingane / Barcroft Media
Security at the prison will be tight with prisoners frequently searched
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Security at the prison will be tight with prisoners frequently searchedCredit: Sizwe Ndingane / Barcroft Media

Having previously been kept in the hospital wing of the prison, Pistorius shared the cell with one other man with the pair using a bathroom that included a bath specially installed for double amputee Pistorius.

Despite not being part of the main prison, the noise of the more than 7,000 other inmates is constant.

The prison has a terrifying history, gaining notoriety for being the main site for hangings during the apartheid era.

Then, death row prisoners were held in a section dubbed 'The Pot' with the gallows able to hang seven men at once.

Prisoners share their cramped cells with Pistorius sharing his cell with another man for a year
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Prisoners share their cramped cells with Pistorius sharing his cell with another man for a yearCredit: Sizwe Ndingane / Barcroft Media
Pistorius will be taken to the Kgosi Mampuru II prison, also known as Pretoria Central Prison
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Pistorius will be taken to the Kgosi Mampuru II prison, also known as Pretoria Central PrisonCredit: Sizwe Ndingane / Barcroft Media
Pistorius has a bath made specially to cater for his disability
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Pistorius has a bath made specially to cater for his disabilityCredit: Getty Images
Pistorius must now face the possibility he will once again be forced to live behind bars
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Pistorius must now face the possibility he will once again be forced to live behind barsCredit: Getty Images
Pistorius will have to make his new home in the notorious prison after the sentencing on Wednesday
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Pistorius will have to make his new home in the notorious prison after the sentencing on WednesdayCredit: Getty Images
Pistorius will serve time for shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp to death
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Pistorius will serve time for shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp to deathCredit: pixel GRG

Now, prisoners are kept on a tight leash, said to spend up to 23 hours a day in their cramped cells.

While Pistorius made a name for himself by being one of the fastest, fittest men, he will be allowed only one hour to exercise outside.

Prison guards have been adamant that they have not and would not give the famous athlete special treatment while at the facility.

 

What is Oscar Pistorius' disability?

Pistorius was born without fibulas, or calf bones.
At 11-months-old, his parents made the difficult choice to have both of his legs amputated below the knee, enabling him to be fitted with prosthetic legs.
Doctors told his parents that the operation would be less traumatic before their son learned to walk.
During his evidence in the witness box, Pistorius described the discomfort of wearing prosthetic legs, or his iconic carbon blades, and the sores that he had to tend to on a regular basis.
 His sentencing hearing heard how his stumps became infected while in jail.

Prisoners at the jail are subjected to surprise raids with guards checking for drugs and other contraband items
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Prisoners at the jail are subjected to surprise raids with guards checking for drugs and other contraband itemsCredit: Sizwe Ndingane / Barcroft Media
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