Briefing Paper 616 – Foreign Nationals and Prison Overcrowding – the Gordian knot… by Peter-John Pearson
In a recent report2 to the Portfolio Committee on BP 616 Foreign Nationals & Prison Overcrowding- The Gordian Knot… by Peter-John Pearson finalCorrectional Services, later discussed at a press conference, it was noted that as at the end of March 2024, South African prisons were suffering from considerable overcrowding. The report stated that Correctional Services now houses 156 000 prisoners, whereas in reality it only has room for 105 474 inmates.3 This amounts to an overcrowding rate of 48 per cent.4 It was also revealed that the Department spends R500 a day on each inmate.5