Overcrowding crisis in SA prisons: 57,000 remand detainees raise alarm

The Department of Correctional Services has a staggering population of 57 000 remand detainees while prisons are bursting at the seams with an overcrowding of 163 000 inmates.

The department said its attempts to refer cases to court for some categories of prisoners to be released to serve community corrections were not yielding much success as fewer matters were approved.

A presentation to the portfolio committee on Friday showed that there were 57 901 remand detainees as at June 30.

Chief deputy commissioner for remand detainees Cynthia Ramulifho said the prison population stood at 163 179.

She said the court referrals, made on the basis of the Criminal Procedure and Correctional Services Acts, were used to reduce overcrowding in prisons.

Ramulifho said there were 71 unsentenced children while 41 were incarcerated.

“At the time we appeared before the committee, we were sitting around 56 and now it has gone up,” she said in reference to unsentenced minors.

Ramulifho also said about 40% of the total sentenced offender population were serving sentences above 15 years, inclusive of those serving life sentences.

“Lifers will typically remain incarcerated for longer periods of time and are sentenced or convicted of serious crimes. This means that bed spaces will not become readily available, which places more pressure on already overcrowded correctional facilities.”

She told MPs that the department identified those remand detainees who qualify for referral to be considered for correctional supervision.

Ramulifho said: “We don’t get positive results.”

Out of the 24 566 referrals made in 2022/23, only 308 were successful.

There were only 560 referrals that were approved out of 19 764 the following year.

In 2024/25, only 676 were approved from 18 206.

The department revealed that only 2 405 referral for conversion of bail to correctional supervision were proved over the past three years.

Ntshalintshali said the figures showed that there were challenges in terms of the results they desired.

“Whereas Correctional Services is pushing, there is a bit of a process with the Minister of Justice. We must find a way to deal with these matters," she said.

MK Party’s Musawenkosi Gasa said the data revealed that were systemic inefficiencies.

“The high percentage of inmates serving above 15 years exacerbates the overcrowding yet Department of Correctional Services fails to propose a concrete plan for long-term sentencing reforms,” Gasa said.

ANC’s Samuel Moela said the issue of overcrowding remained a serious challenge in correctional centres.

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