The general overcrowding in prisons country wide reportedly stood at 137,64% by the end of 2005.
Statistics released by the Department of Correctional Services indicate that 160 213 inmates were crammed in prisons with a capacity of holding only 114 354 inmates. This meant an overpopulation of 45 859 inmates.
Of the total population, 113 820 inmates were not sentenced at the time.
By June 2006, overpopulation increased to more than fifty thousand.
To reduce overcrowding, the government instructed the Department of Correctional Services to lead an inter-cluster task team to develop a comprehensive strategy in search of a remedy.
The strategy is expected to raise proposals regarding appropriate resources and programmes for effective management of inmates who in terms of the constitution are considered innocent until proven guilty.
The government is expected to make a decision based on the strategy soon.
Regional and area commissioners countrywide have since been instructed to identify alternative facilities for holding detainees awaiting trial in correctional centres in the interim to reduce overcrowding.
As a result, the population of detainees awaiting trial decreased from 51 313 in January 2005, to 46 393 in March 2006.
Proper management of the special remission of sentences reduced overcrowding between June and August 2005 by over 31 000 sentenced offenders, saving the country over R70-million in running costs.
The average cost of incarceration in 2005 was estimated at R123,37 per day.
To improve its capacity for delivery, the Department of Correctional Services employed over three thousand entry-level personnel members during 2005/6 to enable it to phase in a seven-day working week.
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