South Africa’s correctional system is facing renewed scrutiny after a sharp increase in unnatural inmate deaths prompted questions about how effectively prisoners are being protected while in state custody.
Forty-four unnatural deaths were recorded in correctional facilities between April and June, according to figures presented to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services. The figure represents a significant increase from the 24 unnatural deaths recorded during the preceding quarter.
Four of the latest deaths were classified as suicides, while one was attributed to a correctional official. The remaining 39 cases are still being investigated.
The figures have raised broader questions about the state’s responsibility for people held in its facilities, particularly as the committee emphasised that safe incarceration and the protection of human dignity are constitutional obligations.
Committee chairperson Kgomotso Ramolobeng called for stronger accountability from the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), warning that interventions were needed to prevent further deaths.
The scrutiny extends beyond fatalities.
During the same three-month period, 236 complaints were lodged against the department. These included 52 inmate-on-inmate assault complaints, 37 allegations involving officials and inmates, 16 sexual assault complaints and 14 healthcare-related complaints.
The committee also questioned discrepancies between DCS death figures and those reported by the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services. The department attributed the difference to the timing of investigations, explaining that JICS records deaths before their causes have necessarily been confirmed.
The concerns come despite significant investment in inmate welfare. DCS reported that 15 510 inmates received psychological care, while 39 651 accessed spiritual care and 35 781 received social work services.
At the same time, the department is facing a projected R749 million overspend against its R30.9 billion budget. Officials attributed some of the pressure to a 9% increase in the inmate population, alongside rising rehabilitation, social reintegration and care costs.
With more than 169 000 people housed in facilities designed for just over 107 000, the committee’s challenge is increasingly centred on whether overcrowding, rising expenditure and operational pressures are compromising the department’s constitutional duty to keep inmates safe.