causes of overcrowding in south african prisons
Causes of Prison Overcrowding. It is difficult to define this term because there is no single internationally accepted standard. Crowding can be measured objectively in several ways: in terms of floor space per prisoner, prisoners per living unit, and institutional population relative to stated capacity. Causes of Prison Overcrowding. Sexual abuse is a common phenomenon and it is linked to overcrowding rates and understaffing. Obviously, South Africa’s uncomfortably high crime rate is directly related to a burgeoning prison population. Removing advertising from your browsing experience is one of them - we don't just block ads, we redesign our pages to look smarter and load faster. Sentence reduction allows for inmates to leave sooner and make room for incoming ones. Thabo Rapoo, head researcher for the Commission for Gender Equality, told the committee that during the commission’s investigation into women in prisons they had found that some mentally ill inmates were forced to wear straitjackets or kept in solitary confinement. One occurs when offenders are released and then commit another crime only to become incarcerated again. On the other hand, the underlying cause of this surplus of inmates is less apparent. The latest data shows that 22 national prison systems hold more than double their capacity, with a further 27 countries operating at 150-200%. Prisons, the law and overcrowding; New South African Review. The thesis further looks and finds in the course of research that, prison overcrowding is a global phenomenon not just peculiar to Nigeria, South Africa and in America. Overcrowding is not limited to adult prisoners. The vast majority of sentenced and unsentenced inmates are male (97.5%). ... Nkomo had died of "natural causes." Schwarzenegger has called for the construction of two more prisons. Prison overcrowding is frequently cited as the reason for many maladies in our prison system, but the situation is a bit more textured than a blanket statement proclaiming that South African prisons are overcrowded. This was revealed in inspecting judge of correctional services Johann van der Westhuizen's 2018/2019 annual report. In South Africa, one of the continent’s wealthiest countries, prison overcrowding stood at 37% in March 2019 with 162,875 detainees for just 118,572 bed spaces. Of these deaths, 72% were from hanging. SAPOHR wants to make use of this opportunity to approach your programme with the aim to open the discussion of the chronically overcrowded and over populated prisons in South Africa. Four innocent men spent a combined 52 years in prison for crimes they did not commit. E-tolls standoff intensifies as Gauteng government says it has made a ... NEWS FEATURE | Into the murky world where the Bulgarian mafia, a Cape ship and ... ‘Stay out of the water’: More than 100 crocodiles on the loose in Mpumalanga. “DCS has no legal powers to refuse detention of inmates on the basis of inadequate bed space and other factors resulting in overcrowding of inmates,” Katenga told the committee. Most people assume that prison populations rise in response to two factors, namely, rising crime rates and/or longer sentences imposed by the courts. Since the mid 1970s imprisonment rates in North America have increased nearly fi vefold. re: causes of the chronic overcrowding in south african prisons. that the extent of overcrowding in South Africa's prisons places the incarceration of the vast majority of this country's inmates in violation of constitutional standards, no matter how low these standards are set. Daily Maverick previously reported on the rise in prisoner suicides, which jumped from 52 in 2016/17 to 82 in 2017/18. In the Eastern Cape correctional facilities were, on average, overpopulated by almost 58%. Another potential fix would be to reduce sentences for good behavior. 7. Eight are for women only, 13 are for youths and 129 are for men only. Overcrowding in prisons and its impact on health Overcrowding in prisons and its impact on health García-Guerrero J1, Marco A2. Acting chief deputy commissioner of incarcerations and corrections, Maria Mabena, said only 81 full-time psychologists, supported by social workers and doctors, were available to assist correctional facilities. It should be done in a that the government should banns the drugs in the country and charge fine whoever is using it. As this article indicates, however, overcrowding in South African prisons is not only a recent phenomenon. Sonke Gender Justice prisons co-ordinator Zia Wasserman said overcrowding created an environment for diseases such as TB, HIV and leptospirosis. The immediate cause of overcrowding is either overuse of imprisonment or insufficient prison capacity. The growing crime rate and rise in life sentences meted out to offenders may mean that there won't be enough beds for criminals in SA’s prisons. A change in mentality may also help reduce prison overcrowding. 1.2 The Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS) in its 2009/10 Annual Report, states that, although the level of incarceration has dropped to 139%, considerably lower than the 170% recorded at the end of the 2002/03 financial year, South Africa’s incarceration rate remains the highest in Africa and one of the highest in the world. The second one is considered to be the biggest super-max prison in the world, with 1,440 places. … In response to a crisis of massive prison overcrowding, Gov. on the rise in prisoner suicides, which jumped from 52 in 2016/17 to 82 in 2017/18. In South Africa there are currently 243 correctional centres (or ‘prisons’), with a total inmate population of approximately 161 0541. Overcrowding in South African Prisons Overcrowding in South African prisons: The reality in the 21st century 1 Shanta Singh Scool of Socialogy and Social Studies University of KwaZulu-Natal Samevatting Tans is Suid-Afrika se 240 gevangenisse erg oorbevolk. “We have made bunk beds and in-between beds, so to speak.”. prison overcrowding in the south african correctional services: a penological perspective by kosabo isaac shabangu submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of arts in the subject penology at the university of south africa. Since the ‘War on Drugs’ began, many prisons have become filled because of drug-related offenders. With about 170,000 inmates, it has a higher per-capita incarceration rate than the rest of the United States, which itself has the highest per-ca The study provides an overview of the history of gangs in South Africa and shows how community gangs spread to prisons. Prison conditions in South Africa are particularly dire. The paper thus takes the view that the problem of prison overcrowding pose challenges to both poor and rich countries, but the causes differs from one region to another. prisons are not yet on par with the standards set by the South African Constitution and International Treaties. This is followed by a meticulous Prisoners live in confined conditions with others for prolonged periods. The DCS gave a presentation to the Committee about overcrowding and management of correctional service facilities. These both things definetely gives the government a positive expectation of crime so it is better to implement such rules that gives a balanced situation of crime level.One of the causes that includes overcrowding is that there is very less number of facilities given to all of the offenders for example: Some offenders are given the facility and most of them are shifted back to the prisons that is out of state … On the other hand, the underlying cause of this surplus of inmates is less apparent. Prisons are also notorious for being sites where multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB flourishes, and MDR TB is on the rise in SA. Overcrowding has been a significant feature of imprisonment in South Africa from the very introduction of this form of punishment into the country. Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town holds 4 162 prisoners (238% occupation), with 60 - 80 awaiting trial.7 Our prisons have been described as ‘melting pots’ for tuberculosis (TB) infection, with TB the most common cause of death among prisoners. The current conditions in South African prisons fail to meet the minimum standards established in national and international legislation and declarations. At some centres, lice and pest infestations were common, largely due to the high turnaround of remand detainees in and out of the prisons. According to the DCS report for the 2017/18 financial year, correctional facilities were overpopulated by an average of 38% across SA. What are the health risks related to overcrowding? Given the above background, this study aimed to examine how correctional facilities can suppress gang activity. "A variety of items are used, but mainly ligatures fashioned from bedding and clothing. Overcrowding, suicides, rape and homicide. understand the precise causes of overcrowding in the particular jurisdiction. The director of the Office of Policy and Management's Justice Planning Division shall be designated in statute as the permanent chairman of the Prison and Jail Overcrowding Commission. In Gauteng, only two out of the 15 centres were found not to be overcrowded. DM. The Western Cape was found to have the most overcrowded facilities, with Pollsmoor Medium B being 200% overcrowded. Thirteen of the 20 suicides by hanging occurred in a single cell. Select which newsletters you'd like to receive, Suné Payne, Victoria O'Regan & Patrick Egwu, When we say we have 118,000 beds, it doesn’t mean that the rest of the [43,000] inmates are sleeping on the floor,” Fraser told the committee. CAUSES OF PRISON OVERCROWDING Tapio Lappi-Seppälä Director, National Research Institute of Legal Policy, Finland I. In the Eastern Cape correctional facilities were, on average, overpopulated by almost 58%. The committee did not have enough time to debate the assessment, and chairperson Gratitude Magwanishe recommended that top DCS officials meet with the Commission for Gender Equality, and present a joint report in three months’ time. So-called ‘problematic’ inmates are sometimes kept separate or segregated from the rest of the inmates for long periods of time,” said Rapoo. 19 July 2017 - Africa Check [FACT SHEET] The state of South Africa’s prisons. understand the precise causes of overcrowding in the particular jurisdiction. Schwarzenegger has called for the construction of two more prisons.