Imprisonment is a central element in the system of social control in South Africa, with high rates of incarcerative sentences and extensive use of detention without trial. The 206 prisons range from small local jails to large prisons with more than 3,000 inmates. Helderstroom is clean and has adequate food, but is extremely overcrowded. Inmates' basic physical needs are met, but work is mainly unskilled, and rehabilitative programming is almost nonexistent. Inmate gangs are common. The basic problem is a lack of resources, and even detention under humane conditions will become impossible if the prison population continues to increase. Notes and 5 references