Urgent call for funding to address prison staffing shortages amid overcrowding crisis
The PSA urgently calls for increased funding to the DCS, warning that current staffing levels are unsustainable and jeopardising prison safety and rehabilitation.
Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
The Public Servants Association (PSA) has called on the Minister of Finance to urgently prioritise funding for the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) to address critical staff shortages, warning that current staffing levels are “unsustainable” and undermining the ability to manage overcrowding and prevent violence in prisons.
The union said the shortage of correctional officers is placing immense pressure on existing personnel, leading to burnout, heightened security risks, and compromised rehabilitation outcomes.
“If this crisis is not urgently addressed, the ability of the DCS to manage overcrowding, prevent violence, and support the reintegration of offenders into society will continue to decline,” the PSA said.
The union attributed the staffing shortfall to “insufficient funding from National Treasury and a lack of adequate facilities to train new correctional officers,” adding that the DCS must urgently fill critical vacancies and strengthen security protocols, particularly during high-risk operations.
This call comes in the wake of a violent incident at the Oudtshoorn Correctional Centre in the Western Cape on August 7, which left one inmate dead and four correctional officials injured.
According to the DCS, the attack occurred during routine unlock procedures the morning after a contraband search operation in which inmates resisted the confiscation of illicit items, including cellphones and narcotics. The National Commissioner of the DCS has confirmed that the attack was premeditated.
The PSA said it strongly condemns this violence and has “long-standing concerns regarding the safety and wellbeing of correctional officials,” concerns it reiterated in a June 2025 bargaining chamber meeting with the DCS.
“A secure and rehabilitative correctional system is not a luxury but a necessity for a just and safe society. Correctional officials must be equipped and supported to carry out their duties safely and effectively,” the PSA said.
The union also urged the DCS to urgently review and strengthen security protocols during cell searches and unlocking procedures and to provide psychological support and trauma counselling to the injured officials and their families.
“The PSA stands in solidarity with the injured officials and their families. The Union is committed to advocating for improved safety conditions and the protection of DCS employees across South Africa,” it said.