| Country | South Africa |
|---|
| Ministry responsible |
Ministry of Correctional Services
|
|---|---|
| Prison administration |
Department of Correctional Services
|
| Contact address |
Private Bag X136, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
|
| Telephone |
+27 012 307 2000
|
| Website | |
|
communications@dcs.gov.za
| |
| Head of prison administration (and title) | Makgothi Thobakgale
National Commissioner
|
| Prison population total (including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners) | 156 600
at 31.3.2024 (national prison administration)
|
|---|---|
| Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) | 249
based on an estimated national population of 62.81 million at end of March 2024 (from Statistics South Africa figures)
|
| Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population) | 38.0%
(31.3.2024)
|
| Female prisoners (percentage of prison population) | 3.0%
(31.3.2024)
|
| Juveniles / minors / young prisoners incl. definition (percentage of prison population) | 0.1%
(31.3.2024 - children)
|
| Foreign prisoners (percentage of prison population) | 10.5%
(31.3.2021)
|
| Number of establishments / institutions | 235
(2019 - another 8 establishments are out of use)
|
| Official capacity of prison system | 105 474
(31.3.2024)
|
| Occupancy level (based on official capacity) | 148.5%
(31.3.2024)
|
| Prison population trend (year, prison population total, prison population rate) |
|
|---|
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Pages
Prisons in South Africa
A Need to Re-integrate Prisoners to the Community: A Case of Polokwane Medium B Prison, South Africa
US State Department Human Rights Country Report 2013: South Africa
US State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012: South Africa
Amnesty International Annual Report 2012: South Africa
Pages
Correctional Services Act 1998
Southern Africa Litigation Centre
Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA)
The Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) is a growing African institution committed to deepening democracy, protecting human rights and enhancing good governance in the region. OSISA's vision is to promote and sustain the ideals, values, institutions and practices of open society, with the aim of establishing vibrant and tolerant southern African democracies in which people, free from material and other deprivation, understand their rights and responsibilities and participate actively in all spheres of life.
Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative
The CSPRI, established in 2003, is a research and advocacy project focussing on prisons and places of confinement in the African region, with the aim of furthering constitutional and human rights imperatives within these settings.
Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services
The object of the Judicial Inspectorate is to facilitate the inspection of correctional centres in order that the Inspecting Judge may report on the treatment of inmates in correctional centres and on conditions in correctional centres.
Nicro
NICRO was first established in 1910 as the Prisoner’s Aid Association and has a rich history in human rights, prison and criminal justice reform. More than 100 years later, NICRO has changed its name and image, pioneered diversion and non-custodial sentencing in South Africa, helped launch probation services and community services and otherwise made a significant contribution to the welfare of all South Africans.
Pages
- Pre-trial/remand prison population: trend
- Female prison population: trend
- Prison population trend up to 2000
Pre-trial/remand prison population: trend
The table below gives an indication of the recent trend in the pre-trial/remand prison population. The final row shows the latest figures available.
It consists of the number of pre-trial/remand prisoners in the prison population on a single date in the year (or the annual average) and the percentage of the total prison population that pre-trial/remand prisoners constituted on that day.
The final column shows the pre-trial/remand population rate per 100,000 of the national population.
SOUTH AFRICA
Year | Number in | Percentage | Pre-trial/remand |
2000 | 55,558 | 33.4% | 127 |
2024 | 59,574 | 38.0% | 95 |
It should be noted that the number of pre-trial/remand prisoners fluctuates from day to day, month to month and year to year. Consequently the above figures give an indication of the trend but the picture is inevitably incomplete.
The pre-trial/remand population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities.
Female prison population: trend
The table below gives an indication of the trend in the female prison population. The final row shows the latest figures available.
It consists of the number of female prisoners in the prison population on a single date in the year (or the annual average) and the percentage of the total prison population that female prisoners constituted on that day.
The final column shows the female prison population rate per 100,000 of the national population.
SOUTH AFRICA
Year | Number of | Percentage | Female prison |
2000 | 3,966 | 2.5% | 9.2 |
2024 | 4,641 | 3.0% | 7.4 |
The number of female prisoners fluctuates and so the above figures give an indication of the trend but the picture is inevitably incomplete.
The female prison population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities.
(If the rate were calculated on the basis of the number of females in the national population it would of course be approximately double the figure in the final column).
Prison population trend up to 2000
The figures below give an indication of the prison population trend in the years up to 2000. They supplement the more recent figures that are shown at the foot of the Overview page and in the graphs below.
SOUTH AFRICA
|
Year |
Prison |
Prison population rate |
|
1936 |
19,077 |
200 |