South Africa’s (SA) correctional system is under growing strain, with the inmate population now exceeding 170 000 nationwide.
National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Makgothi Thobakgale, says the number of offenders behind bars continues to rise on a weekly basis, placing mounting pressure on already stretched facilities.
While Thobakgale has pointed to the increasing numbers as a reflection of the effectiveness of the police, the National Prosecuting Authority and the courts in tackling crime, he warns that the impact is being felt most acutely within correctional centres.
He says prisons across the country are operating at more than 150% capacity in many instances, with no facility managing overcrowding below 50% raising concerns about safety, security and the humane detention of inmates.
–SABC–
