Oscar Pistorius Latest News: Details of His Life Behind Bars Revealed
In a recent interview with South African weekly publication You, Oscar Pistorius' older brother Carl provided a detailed picture of his brother's life behind bars at Kgosi Mampuru prison. According to Carl, the paralympian, who is serving five years for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, is not getting any special treatment behind bars.
Pistorius is reportedly living in an isolation cell with no TV and no access to a mobile phone. The cell is two meters by three meters wide in size and has a solid steel door. It contains a small cupboard, a bed with a sponge mattress, two blankets, a sink, and a toilet.
Rather than having a private bathroom, Carl said that his brother has been allocated a stool to sit on in a communal shower room.
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His day starts at 5:30 a.m. when he dresses and fixes his cell. Breakfast is porridge with coffee or juice and is brought to him at 7 a.m. For lunch, he is brought a meal with meat and vegetables and some kind of starch. His last meal of the day is served at 4 p.m. and is made up of slices of buttered bread with a hot drink.
Carl said that Pistorius relies on visitors to leave cash at the tuck shop in order for him to be able to buy other food such as baked beans. On one recent visit, Pistorius told his siblings that he plans to involve some of his inmates in playing basketball.
"He asked family members to donate balls, rather than buy him gifts for his birthday," Carl said. "He is still waiting for permission from the area commissioner of correctional services to allow it."
Pistorius is allowed with one hour a day to spend time outside his cell and another to exercise in a weights room. Once a week, he is allowed a 45-minute visit.
Carl also talked about how Pistorius has been inspired by the stories of his fellow inmates who are now turning their lives around.
"There are people there who have committed crimes but whose lives have changed," said Carl.
Pistorius is reportedly hoping to leave his cell after serving 10 months of his sentence and to spend the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
