Overcrowding has grown by 5% in five months in the country’s prisons, a concern which experts described as a sign of a dysfunctional criminal justice system.
As of June, the national inmate population was more than 145 000.
Department of Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said 97 831 were sentenced and 47 267 detained, while 125 were state patients, translating into an overcrowding level of 33.36%.
He said the rate of overcrowding had risen from 27.41% in February.
Professor Lukas Muntingh, a project co-ordinator at Africa Criminal Justice Reform, said the high number of detainees was concerning, and that Covid-19 worsened the problem.
“We are more concerned about the severe levels of overcrowding among the large number of awaiting-trial prisoners, because that tells us that the criminal justice system is not functioning properly.
“The sentenced population has been steady and declining following the remission of sentences in May 2020 as a result of Covid-19,” he said.
Muntingh said overcrowding had an effect on the operation of prisons and the behaviour of prisoners, given that measures had to be put in place and enforced to deal with the problem.
“What we know from research is that overcrowding is not a driver of unrest and violence in prison. What is more important is the way in which it is managed.”
He said the number of inmates had been low for many years compared with 2008, when it stood at 200 000.
“So the population at this stage is at its lowest levels in many years. When we look at our crime levels, we should see far more people (sentenced) in prisons for serious crimes, but that is not happening,” he said.
In 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa approved parole for about 19 000 prisoners in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19 in overcrowded facilities.
Dr Angelique Coetzee, head of Solidarity Doctors’ Forum’s advisory board, said overcrowding in correctional services facilities was a risk factor for the revival of the Covid-19.
“Measures still need to be in place in the correctional services. You cannot throw away masks and social distancing. It's important to wash hands. Sanitation (and) ventilation need to be addressed,” she said.
“I know there are no good measures in place to make sure that inmates do not get the Covid-19. We know some are severely overcrowded.
“The clinical symptoms that we are currently experiencing with the Omicron variant are very similar to upper respiratory infections – especially the flu. If you don't test everyone, you might miss Covid 19 and it might affect people with chronic diseases,” she said.
Department of Health spokesperson Foster Mohale said the cancellation of all Covid-19 regulations last month applied to the prisoners as well.
Nxumalo said the department’s strategies for reducing overcrowding included managing levels of inmates through converting sentences into community correctional supervision, releasing sentenced persons on parole, and transferring prisoners between correctional centres.