During his budget speech in the National Assembly on Tuesday, Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald highlighted key factors driving severe prison overcrowding, including budget constraints, a flawed parole system and an ineffective bail process that leaves many remand detainees behind bars for failing to afford minimal bail amounts, reports Cape {town} Etc.
‘Overcrowding remains a significant challenge exacerbated by those who cannot afford to pay small amounts of bail,’ Groenewald stated, reflecting on the dire state of South Africa’s correctional facilities.
An unsettling reality, he noted, is that the current detention system is increasingly overwhelmed, with more than 60 000 remand detainees contributing to this crisis.
The minister pointed out that despite having a sufficient number of bed spaces (107 067 beds for 104 550 sentenced inmates), the 60 000 remand detainees push the required capacity to a staggering 166 000.
‘These figures reveal a system at breaking point,’ he added.
Groenewald’s remarks come in the wake of a stark reminder of the inherent flaws in the bail system, where 2 530 remand detainees languish behind bars solely because they cannot afford bail amounts as low as R1 000.
The financial burden of keeping these individuals in custody is considerable, with the state spending R463 per detainee each day. This, Groenewald highlighted, results in a significant tax liability for South Africans.
In pursuit of solutions, the minister expressed his support for the pilot launch of an independent Bail Fund, an initiative designed to assist those deemed eligible by the courts without tapping into public funds.
‘This project will not only alleviate the burden on our overcrowded prisons but will also be mindful of exclusions for serious crimes like gender-based violence,’ he asserted.
Moreover, Groenewald underscored the financial implications associated with foreign national offenders, noting that approximately 24 000 foreign detainees strain the system, costing the South African taxpayer R11 112 000 daily.
The department is currently considering diplomatic solutions to address this pressing issue.
Amid these proposals, Groenewald emphasised that it is critical for the department to strike a balance between safeguarding communities from convicted criminals and ensuring the rehabilitative needs of offenders are met.
He acknowledged the presence of crime syndicates and gangs operating from within correctional facilities and vowed to implement measures to curb these activities.
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