Drugs rife in prisons

DEPARTMENT: QUANTITIES OF CONFISCATED SUBSTANCES LOWEST IN GAUTENG

- Jarryd Westerdale

Prisoners in South African correctional facilities are still being caught in possession of large quantities of contraband substances.

The department of correctional services revealed the scale of drugs confiscated by authorities in a written parliamentary reply.

The department came under fire this year for not curbing drug use in prisons, but Minister Pieter Groenewald's office said there has been an increased focus on the matter.

Figures released by the department showed confiscations were lower in Gauteng's eight correctional facilities than the rest of the country.

In the 2024-25 financial year, officials confiscated 282kg of marijuana and roughly 4kg of crystal meth.

The quantity of marijuana confiscated was down considerably from the previous financial year, where Gauteng's prisons contributed a combined 5 790kg.

However, the quantity of crystal meth confiscated had increased, with the 2023-24 financial year recording roughly 3.5kg of contraband product.