Fewer inmates are escaping from SA’s prisons, but overcrowding is still an issue

Fewer prisoners have escaped from South African prisons despite the growing population at correctional services facilities across the country.

• The prison population is growing every year.
• Overcrowding remains a major problem, says the Department of Correctional Services.
• The inmate population was 157 056, as of 31 March 2023, and this was within the approved bed space capacity of 107 582.

Fewer prisoners have escaped from South African prisons despite the growing population at correctional services facilities across the country.

On Thursday, the Department of Correctional Services presented their annual report to the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services.

The chief deputy commissioner, Joseph Katenga, told the committee there had been 90 escapes in the 2022/23 financial year, compared to the 117 escapes reported in the 2020/21 financial year.

“During the year under review, the department reduced security incidents by ensuring effective implementation of prevention strategies, conducting security awareness sessions and security operational visits.

“Compliance with policies and standard operating procedures played a vital role in preventing multiple escapes, injuries, as a result of reported assaults, and confirmed unnatural deaths,” he said.

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Prison escapes came under sharp scrutiny after Thabo Bester’s escape from prison in May 2022 after allegedly faking his own death.

Bester and Nandipha Magudumana were arrested in Tanzania after being on the run since the news of his prison escape broke.

Magudumana faces several charges relating to Bester’s escape.

Both are currently in custody – Bester at Kgosi Mampuru Prison in Gauteng and Magudumana in Kroonstad Prison.

According to Katenga, the department’s interventions reduced the number of injuries, as a result of reported assaults, from 5 699 in the 2020/21 financial year to 3 754 (2.39%) in 2022/23.

“The threat and risk assessment exercises and the security audits that are being conducted in the department have contributed to the effective reduction of security breaches in centres.

“The success of any intervention ultimately rests on officials’ ability to conduct their work with consistency, accountability and professionalism. Preventing access to contraband has reduced violence,” he said.

The number of unnatural deaths also decreased.

In 2022/23, there 42 confirmed deaths reported – and, in the 2020/21 financial year, there were 47.

Some of the figures were disputed by the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services, who claimed there were 101 deaths reported to them.

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Katenga said that, as the inmate population grew, so did the need for heightened security.

“The overall sentenced offender population of 101 186 reflects that the male population of 98 495 constituted 97.34% of the sentenced offender population, while the female population of 2 691, in turn, constituted 2.66% of the sentenced offender population.

“The inmate population trend from 2020/21 to 2022/23 reflects an overall increase of 16 108 inmates from 140 948 to 157 056. This constitutes an overall increase of 11.43% over a three-year period,” he said.

Overcrowding at correctional services centres, though, remains a major problem.

Katenga said the inmate population of 157 056, as of 31 March 2023, was accommodated within the approved bed space capacity of 107 582, which is an excess of 49 474 inmates.

Most MPs commended the department for clamping down on escapes and other major challenges in prisons.

Some, however, raised concerns about overcrowded prisons.