Parliament's correctional services committee concerned about rising costs of keeping remand detainees in prison
Committee chairperson Kgomotso Ramolobeng said it was concerning that remand detainees were spending months and even years prison, many for petty offences, because they could not afford bail.
Kgomotso Ramolobeng, the chairperson of Parliament’s correctional services committee. Picture: @JustSecuCluster/X
CAPE TOWN - Parliament's correctional services committee said it was concerned about the increasing costs of keeping remand detainees in the country’s prisons.
But chairperson Kgomotso Ramolobeng said that she was not in favour of corporal punishment as an alternative to alleviate the problem.
Last week, Minister Pieter Groenewald set tongues wagging after making this suggestion during his budget vote speech in Parliament.
Ramolobeng said it was concerning that remand detainees were spending months and even years prison, many for petty offences, because they could not afford bail.
Not only is the situation exacerbating overcrowding, but also burdening the fiscus.
"We are concerned about the staggering cost of keeping and maintaining remand detainees in our correctional facilities, which currently costs the department around R480 a day to house an inmate or a remand detainee."
But she said rather than consider corporal punishment over bail or a jail sentence, alternative measures should include rehabilitation.
"Perhaps we could start a debate or a discussion on community service. Those who have petty crimes, there must be stringent measures to say they must do community service... cleaning up the streets, our schools, our churches."
A recent oversight visit to Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town revealed more than 500 inmates who could not pay between R300 and R500 bail.