Fund to pay petty crime bail

Cameron: 'Deplorable' overcrowding in jails force plan to make taxpayers pay small amounts

- Thando Nondywana

Taxpayers' money is to be used to pay bail for those accused of minor offences – all to help ease pressure on the overcrowded prisons system, according to a plan by the Judicial Inspectorate for correctional services.

The inspectorate, which oversees prison conditions to ensure compliance with the law, said 2,613 detainees are unable to pay bail amounts under R1 000, with many more struggling to afford slightly higher amounts.

The initiative was prompted by extreme overcrowding, retired judge Edwin Cameron, head of the inspectorate, said.

“One of the most severe violations of human dignity in prisons is overcrowding. This morning, at Westville Medium B, we were informed that a facility designed for 1,500 inmates currently holds around 4,000 people – an overcrowding rate of 157%.

That is not just undignified; it is deplorable. It is deeply distressing.

However, we do not place the blame on the department of correctional services or its personnel. The responsibility lies with parliament, the SAPS, and Crime Intelligence for failing to manage crime effectively,” he said.