how many prisons are in south africa

Full Answer

What is the prison system like in South Africa?

The prison system in South Africa also includes two privately-run prisons, and they are the Kutama Sinthumule Correctional Center which is run by the American private corrections’ company known as GEO Group, and secondly the Mangaung Correctional Center which is operated by the British security company G4S.

What is the most dangerous prison in South Africa?

Kokstad Prison. Kokstad prison, which is also known as eBongweni C-Max Prison is considered the highest maximum correctional facility on South Africa soil. The prison is located in Kwazulu Natal. It is designed to house the most dangerous set of criminals.

What is the prison population in South Africa 2020?

at 24.6.2020 (Ministry of Justice) Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) 248. based on an estimated national population of 59.62 million at June 2020 (from Statistics South Africa figures) Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population) 35.7%. (24.6.2020)

Is overcrowding in South Africa’s prisons really 149%?

“Government met the ruling. As of 26 June, their statistics showed that overcrowding levels were 149%,” national prison specialist at Sonke Gender Justice, Ariane Nevin, told Africa Check.

What is the maximum number of prisons in South Africa?

South Africa has two super-maximum security prisons: C-Max, in Pretoria, and Ebongweni, in Kokstad. The second one is considered to be the biggest super-max prison in the world, with 1,440 places.

How many prisons are there in South Africa in 2021?

South AfricaPrison population total (including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners)140 948 at 31.3.2021 (national prison administration)Number of establishments / institutions235 (2019 - another 8 establishments are out of use)Official capacity of prison system110 836 (31.3.2021)6 more rows

How many private prisons are in South Africa?

TwoTwo maximum-security private prisons, otherwise known as joint-venture prisons, are being built in South Africa as a pilot project. The two sites that were chosen by the South African Department of Correctional Services are Louis Trichardt and Bloemfontein.

What prisons are in South Africa?

Notable prisons include:Drakenstein Correctional Centre, formerly Victor Verster Prison near Paarl.the Old Gaol Building in Ingwavuma.Pollsmoor Prison (where the above prisoners served most of their sentences) in Tokai, Cape Town.Pretoria Central Prison, now Kgosi Mampuru II Management Area.More items...

Do prisoners get paid in South Africa?

Daily prisoner entitlements Prisoners are entitled to a small sum of money each day. This amount can vary depending upon: behaviour. work activities.

How much does a prisoner cost per day in South Africa?

roughly R447The budget for the Dept of Correctional Services for 2019/20 was R25 316 million which translates to a daily cost per prisoner of roughly R447 or R163 155 per year.

How many women's prisons are in South Africa?

22Of the 243 prisons in the country, only 22 provide for female inmates. Because SA's women inmate population is comparatively small and relatively peaceful, it is an oft overlooked group. This is reflected in the DCS White Paper on Correctional Facilities, an important policy document for prisons and prisoners in SA.

How many foreign prisoners are in South Africa?

Nearly 18,000 illegal foreign nationals have been incarcerated in the country's correctional facilities in the last five years. Of these, about 52% were sentenced by November 2021. Minister of justice and correctional services Ronald Lamola made this revelation in a written parliamentary response.

How are prisoners treated in South Africa?

Inmates and remand detainees experience extreme overcrowding and inhumane living conditions, including: poor ventilation; inadequate ablution facilities; lack of sanitation and privacy; a shortage of beds and bedding; insufficient supervision and oversight; and poor healthcare provision.

What do prisoners do in jail all day in South Africa?

All inmates are required to attend programmes aimed at rehabilitation. There is supposed to be an emphasis on sports activities and education and training. However, this tends to be largely theoretical as overcrowding places huge restrictions on activities and rehabilitation programmes.

What do South African prisoners eat?

In some prisons, only two meals a day were served, and prisoners took bread and a drink with them to the cell as their third meal of the day. For example, in the Durban Westville prison complex, lunch was served at 12:30 P.M. At that time prisoners were issued bread and powdered drink for supper.

Can an 80 year old go to jail in South Africa?

Crime and punishment has no age limit. There is no guaranteed reprieve for the oldest members of society if they kill, hurt or violate others in the community. They may be frail or sick, but if the justice system rules them able to face a custodial sentence, they may have to live out their final years behind bars.

How many women's prisons are in South Africa?

What we do know from official DCS reports is that there are currently 243 correctional services facilities in South Africa. Eight of these are “female-only” facilities and 129 are for men only.

How many prisoners are in a single cell in South Africa?

Communal cells house anything from 24 to 80 prisoners. Inmates can apply to be assigned to a single cell.

How many prisons are there in Gauteng?

MANAGEMENT AREA/PRISONOFFICIAL CAPACITYNUMBER OF POPULATIONJHB Medium A Medium B Maximum Female2630 1300 302 6055836 2065 528 751L-kop Medium A Medium B Medium C Maximum751 723 692 7631337 714 1139 1305PTA Local Central Max Female Atteridgev2171 1519 281 89 6094671 2432 213 150 992Modderbee223143007 more rows

How does overcrowding affect living conditions?

High overcrowding rates undermine living conditions. Some cells house two or three times the number of inmates they are designed to hold. Detainees do not have access to proper medical attention. Only a small percentage of prisoners have access to education, work, sports or to the library.

How many prisons are there in South Africa?

South Africa has two super-maximum security prisons: C-Max, in Pretoria, and Ebongweni, in Kokstad. The second one is considered to be the biggest super-max prison in the world, with 1,440 places.

What is the common phenomenon in South Africa?

Violence and ill-treatment are common during arrest and while in prison. Gang culture is very present in South Africa and therefore reflects behind bars. Sexual abuse is a common phenomenon and it is linked to overcrowding rates and understaffing.

Is the Kutama Sinthumule prison privately run?

The prison system also includes two privately-run prisons: the Kutama Sinthumule Correctional Centre is run by the American private corrections’ company GEO Group, and the Mangaung Correctional Centre is run by the British security company G4S. Allegations of torture, including electrocuting inmates, have been made against G4S prison workers in the past.

What is the name of the prison in Pretoria?

The Pretoria Central Prison has now been renamed Kgosi Mampuru II Management Area, and some people also call it the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Services. It is a large prison in central Pretoria, in South Africa. C Max is the name given to the Maximum Security Division of this prison. The Prison is operated by the South African Department ...

How many prisoners are in the Mangaung prison?

The prison can accommodate around 2,000 prisoners, but the actual figure of persons held is unspecified. The prison is managed by the company G4S as part of a consortium.

What is Pollsmoor Prison?

Pollsmoor Prison is a reflection of South African society and strong evidence that gang culture has taken over the country. It looks as if the authorities don’t know what to do with all the gangsters they find on the streets, and do they just send them to Pollsmoor Prison.

How many inmates are in Pollsmoor Prison?

This prison was meant to host only 3900 inmates but now has over 8900 inmates.

What is the highest prison in South Africa?

Kokstad Prison. Kokstad prison, which is also known as eBongweni C-Max Prison is considered the highest maximum correctional facility on South Africa soil. The prison is located in Kwazulu Natal. It is designed to house the most dangerous set of criminals.

Where is Brandvlei Prison?

Brandvlei Correctional Centre (formerly Brandvlei Prison) is a prison situated in Worcester, Western Cape, South Africa, near the bank of the Brandvlei Dam near Worcester, Western Cape, South Africa. It contains a maximum-security unit. According to the Census of 2001, the prison had a population ...

Why are prisons necessary?

Prisons are a necessary evil in every society. If the disease of crime is to be controlled and managed, before it spreads out of control, then there must be a place to quarantine those individuals who exhibit signs similar to the disease of crime . The correctional facilities are those places where people are put to see if they can be cured ...

How is the pre-trial population calculated?

The pre-trial/remand population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities.

What is CSPRI in Africa?

The CSPRI, established in 2003, is a research and advocacy project focussing on prisons and places of confinement in the African region, with the aim of furthering constitutional and human rights imperatives within these settings. Countries: South Africa. http://cspri.org.za/ (link is external) HTML.

What is the purpose of the Judicial Inspectorate?

The object of the Judicial Inspectorate is to facilitate the inspection of correctional centres in order that the Inspecting Judge may report on the treatment of inmates in correctional centres and on conditions in correctional centres .

What is OSISA vision?

OSISA's vision is to promote and sustain the ideals, values, institutions and practices of open society, with the aim of establishing vibrant and tolerant southern African democracies in which people , free from material and other deprivation, understand their rights and responsibilities and participate actively in all spheres of life . Countries: ...

What is OSISA in South Africa?

South Africa. …. The Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) is a growing African institution committed to deepening democracy, protecting human rights and enhancing good governance in the region. OSISA's vision is to promote and sustain the ideals, values, institutions and practices of open society, ...

When was Nicro established?

NICRO was first established in 1910 as the Prisoner’s Aid Association and has a rich history in human rights, prison and criminal justice reform. More than 100 years later, NICRO has changed its name and image, pioneered diversion and non-custodial sentencing in South Africa, helped launch probation services and community services and otherwise made a significant contribution to the welfare of all South Africans.

How many prisons are there in South Africa?

The inspectorate’s most recent annual report notes that South Africa had 236 operational prisons at the end of March 2016, with 7 “under some form of renovation” at the time.

Where are the maximum security prisons in South Africa?

Two of South Africa’s maximum security prisons, Mangaung in Bloemfontein and Kutama Sinthumule in Limpopo are privately run, a spokesman for the department of correctional services, Tshifhiwa Magadani, told Africa Check.

What is the Wits Justice Project?

With thanks to the Wits Justice Project, which use investigative journalism to expose miscarriages of justice, for input and guidance in putting this factsheet on South African prisons together .

Which prison in Cape Town had the biggest shortage of beds?

Pollsmoor prison in Cape Town had the biggest shortage of beds (2,448) in 2015/16 financial year. Following a court challenge by Sonke Gender Justice and Lawyers for Human Rights, the Western Cape High Court held that the conditions in Pollsmoor’s remand detention centre were unconstitutional.

When was the first update to minimum standards on treating prisoners in 50 years?

In December 2015, the United Nation general assembly adopted the first update to minimum standards on treating prisoners in 50 years - and named it in late South African president Nelson Mandela’s honour.

Is solitary confinement a form of punishment?

Despite these provisions, 4 civil society organisations operating in South Africa submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Committee that “there is reason to conclude” that solitary confinement as a form of punishment “still occurs under the guise of ‘segregation’”.

What is the prison system in South Africa?

The prison system in South Africa also includes two privately-run prisons, and they are the Kutama Sinthumule Correctional Center which is run by the American private corrections’ company known as GEO Group, and secondly the Mangaung Correctional Center which is operated by the British security company G4S.

What is the problem with private prisons in South Africa?

Conclusion On Private Prisons In South Africa: A major problem of the South African prison system is violence. This can come in the form of violence from fellow inmates with whom individuals are imprisoned or ill-treatment from correctional workers in whose care inmates have been entrusted. All these are common during arrest and while in prison. ...

What are the allegations against GS4?

Allegations of torture which have been made against GS4 and the allegations of starvation which have been made against GEOgroup make it glaringly clear that private prisons are not free of trouble in themselves.

What did Nelson Mandela say about prisons?

List and names of private prisons in South Africa. President Nelson Mandela wrote in his autobiography ‘no man can truly know a nation until he has been inside its prisons.’. Prisons are an unfortunate reflection of every society. Just one look at the inside life of prison will explain to a trained eye all that he needs to see about the state ...

What is sexual exploitation?

Sexual exploitation can come in several forms; first, fellow inmates can take advantage of persons who are smaller than them or less strong compared to themselves and make them perform sexual acts on pain of beating and other forms of physical punishment.

What happens to prisoners after they are released from prison?

At the expiry of their prison sentence, they are then returned to society, either as better people or as damaged persons, further destroyed by their time with hardened criminals , in an unfriendly environment. In order to try to solve the problems faced by the prison system, many countries have begun an experiment in which inmates are put not in the charge of the state authorities but in the care of private companies licensed by the state.

Why did the police burn down prisons?

They burned down a section of the prison, claiming that prison guards left them locked up in cells to starve when they went on strike. Investigations about this and other actions of the workers on several other prisons resulted in the dismissal of about 330 members of the Police and Prisons Civil rights union.

How many foreigners are in prison in South Africa?

In answer to a June 2017 parliamentary question, the minister of justice and correctional services said that 11,842 foreigners were being held in South African correctional facilities. Of these, 7,345 had been sentenced and 4,497 were awaiting trial, with 1,380 being prosecuted for being in the country illegally.

Where are the maximum security prisons in South Africa?

Two of South Africa’s maximum security prisons, Mangaung in Bloemfontein and Kutama Sinthumule in Limpopo, are privately run, a spokesman for the department of correctional services, Tshifhiwa Magadani, told Africa Check.

Which prison in Cape Town had the biggest shortage of beds?

Pollsmoor prison in Cape Town had the biggest shortage of beds (2,448) in 2015/16 financial year. Following a court challenge by Sonke Gender Justice and Lawyers for Human Rights, the Western Cape High Court held that the conditions in Pollsmoor’s remand detention centre were unconstitutional.

When was the first update to the minimum standards for treating prisoners?

In December 2015, the United Nations general assembly adopted the first update to minimum standards on treating prisoners in 50 years – and named it in late South African president Nelson Mandela’s honour. The UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners – known as the Nelson Mandela rules – contain 122 rules which “represent, ...

How many cases of assault were reported to the JICS?

Langa found that assault by prison officials was one of the most common complaints reported to the JICS (6,000 cases) and IPID, which received 1,778 complaints of assault and 89 of torture in the same time frame.

How many prisons are there in South Africa?

South Africa’s 231 active correctional centres are overcrowded, with an official prison system capacity of 120,000 – giving an occupancy rate of 133%.

What was the prison population in South Africa in 2004?

South Africa hit a peak prisoner population in 2004 with 187,640 prisoners at a rate of 403 per 100,000 people – however the highest prisoner per 100,000 population rate was in 1980, where it was at 409.

How many people are in prison in Seychelles?

According to the Seychelles News Agency, the majority of nearly 800 inmates are incarcerated in the main Montagne Posée Prison, some 500 of them. The remaining are either in the Open prison on Coetivy island, 290 kilometres south of the main island of Mahé, which is for the rehabilitation of prisoners or in the prison where drug traffickers, ...

Which city has the lowest prisoner rate?

San Marino also has the lowest prisoner rate in the world, at 6 per 100,000 people.

Which country has the largest prison population?

The latest available prisoner statistics from across the world shows which country has the largest prison population – and where South Africa fits into the picture.

How many prisoners are there in San Marino?

San Marino – a ‘micro-state’ surrounded by Italy has only two prisoners (out of a population of 33,700), the lowest figure in the world, ahead of Liechtenstein, with seven prisoners out of a population of 37,130.