Why Overcrowding Still Plagues SA's Prisons

Описание: Helen Suzman is often credited with visiting political prisoners during the height of Apartheid. Her visits to Robben Island and elsewhere in the country did not only result in an improvement of prison conditions for political prisoners, but often also for the general prison population.

In 2026, it will be 21 years since President Mbeki appointed a Commission of Inquiry into alleged incidents of corruption, maladministration, violence or intimidation in the Department of Correctional Services, commonly known as the “Jali Commission”. The Jali Commission concluded, amongst others, that the “issue of overcrowding can clearly be regarded as a State violation of the basic human rights of prisoners, which is unconstitutional and cannot be condoned in our new democracy”.

HSF is deeply concerned by the fact that this unconstitutional and untenable situation continue unabated. The systemic causes of overcrowding as identified 21 years ago by the Jali Commission persist and to break the cycle, novice and practical steps need to be considered. This webinar aims to bring together experts to debate the history of overcrowding, steps that have been taken, interventions that have been mooted but not taken and to make suggestions on the way forward.

Our participants for the event are Judge Lee Bozalek (Inspecting Judge for Correctional Services), Prof TD Matshaba (Department of Corrections Management, UNISA) and Ms Doreen Gaura (Senior Programme Officer at Just Detention International).