No special treatment in jail for birthday boy Oscar Pistorius

Paralympian Oscar Pistorius, serving a five-year jail sentence for killing his girlfriend, turns 28 today — his first birthday behind bars, and a world away from his former life as a jet-setting celebrity

Pretoria: Paralympian Oscar Pistorius, serving a five-year jail sentence for killing his girlfriend, turns 28 today — his first birthday behind bars, and a world away from his former life as a jet-setting celebrity.

Paralympian Oscar Pistorius

Like the other convicted criminals in South African jails, the double-amputee track star is unlikely to get any special treatment at Pretoria’s Kgosi Mampuru prison.

“I think his privileges at the moment are still very limited because he just started,” said Piet du Plessis, a lawyer from Johannesburg, who is representing Radovan Krejcir, a Czech fugitive being held in the same prison as Pistorius.

Due to his disability, Pistorius is being held in the prison’s hospital ward, shielding him from the overcrowded cells, known for gang violence. According to the prison authorities, Pistorius is allowed five one-hour visits per month, and may receive cards for special occasions.

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