logo
Wasted freedom: Here's how many parolees reoffended last year

Wasted freedom: Here's how many parolees reoffended last year

The Citizen3 days ago
Robbery, theft, housebreaking and assault were the most common crimes committed by parolees, while murder and rape increased.
The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has revealed how many parolees have squandered their chances of freedom.
Reoffending parolees and the cost of housing inmates were recently addressed by Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald.
The minister warned that the monitoring of parolees could be an area under threat as he announced a reduction in the department's budget for the coming year.
More than one in 10 reoffend
Groenewald signed off on a DCS report in June that detailed the number of parolees who had been rearrested in the last five years.
DCS had released 287 474 inmates under correctional supervision since the 2020-21 financial year, with 29 940 parolees being rearrested in the last five financial years
A written parliamentary response revealed that 5 682 of the 52 556 inmates released on parole or probation during the 2024-25 financial year had reoffended.
That represents 12.4% of parolees and is up from the 10.9% from the previous financial year, as well as the highest of any of the last five years.
The crimes that sent parolees back to prison early were theft (523), housebreaking (488), robbery (337) and assault (351).
Rearrests for murder accounted for 209 cases while 345 parolees were rearrested on a rape or sexual assault charge — both the highest at any point in the last five years.
No more easy parole
Groenewald announced the department has a capital budget shortfall of R222 million and warned of the possible consequences.
'The cuts to our budget translate to the provision of security equipment being compromised; capital investment in skills development being cut; the budget for nutritional services had to be cut; capital works projects will be on hold; and the monitoring of parolees could be negatively impacted,' said Groenewald.
He reiterated that he would implement strict measures on parolees, despite overcrowding in prisons.
'An excessive number of medium to high-risk offenders are being recommended for parole. Once again, we must not allow the citizens of South Africa to bear the burden of this risk,' he said.
Cost of housing inmates
The minister explained in his budget speech on Tuesday that South Africa was spending R463 per day per prisoner to care for inmates.
He added that roughly 24 000 foreign nationals were currently passing through correctional services, costing the state R11 million per day.
These were all awaiting trial and are part of the 60 000 remanded inmates who cost the state R27.7 million per day while the court proceedings drag on.
Asked whether parolees were monitored after their sentences ended, the minister clarified that offenders became free citizens once their sentences were served.
'There is no provision for continuous monitoring of released offenders as they would have reached their sentence expiry date,' Groenewald stated.
NOW READ: Cheap labour? Here's how much prisoners earn in Correctional Services' bakeries
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

A VIEW OF THE WEEK: Spare the rod, save the inmate
A VIEW OF THE WEEK: Spare the rod, save the inmate

The Citizen

time2 days ago

  • The Citizen

A VIEW OF THE WEEK: Spare the rod, save the inmate

While corporal punishment for adults may seem like a good idea, the last thing an already violent country needs is another way to beat out its anger. In his 1961 book on corporal punishment, British Parliamentarian Leslie Hale asked, 'Has an innocent man ever been hanged?' South Africa may have abolished the death penalty in 1995, but the debate over it rages on 30 years later. At the heart of the call for its reinstatement is the country's crime crisis. Frustrated at peaceful interventions that go nowhere, repeat offenders, and a slow justice system, police and residents often take matters into their own hands. When officers are gunning down suspects in a shootout or residents are overturning a car to try to reach alleged criminals, they are fighting violence with violence and adding to an already violent society. They are creating an unofficial death penalty that is fueled by vengeance and retaliation, not deterrence. Return to the good old days? Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald this week suggested the formal return of another channel of violence: corporal punishment. Corporal punishment in prisons has been illegal since 1996, but the minister believes its return may alleviate overcrowding. His suggestion comes from a frustration that so many suspects are awaiting trial and, because thousands of them can't even afford the cheapest of bail, are clogging up prisons and resources. Alleged criminals are flooding into prisons, but courts can't deal with the number, so it causes a bottleneck that needs to be addressed, or it risks further destabilising the system. While deporting foreign suspects is one option, the diplomatic, legal, and administrative headache it would bring will add to an already unbearable migraine for the justice system. This and corporal punishment are both compelling arguments, but are populist and shallow when more balanced and thoughtful solutions to the issue are needed. Expanding public works and basic maintenance projects, labour or production camps, and increasing prison farms would all serve awaiting-trial inmates and the country better. ALSO READ: A VIEW OF THE WEEK: We need a ceasefire in the war on children Blood and violence everywhere Dealing out violence is not a workable solution. Countries that have taken such an approach have not seen a marked improvement, but rather a spiralling of the problem into further lawlessness. South Africa's Apartheid past is soaked in blood from all sides, justified through suppression, resistance, and tribalism. Events like the Marikana Massacre post-1994 have shown we have not outgrown the scourge. The prevalence of domestic violence and violent crimes on a daily basis points to a population psychologically damaged, and who have been taught the only way to express their point or solve disputes is with a weapon. For centuries, innocent men and women were hanged, and many more were beaten. Returning to corporal punishment will add to those assaulted wrongly and, even if dealt to those guilty, keep us trapped in the never-ending cycle of violence. NOW READ: A VIEW OF THE WEEK: Trump should have learnt from SA 'white genocide' moemish before bombing Iran

Bring back the whip, says Minister Groenewald
Bring back the whip, says Minister Groenewald

IOL News

time2 days ago

  • IOL News

Bring back the whip, says Minister Groenewald

Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald has ignited after suggesting South Africa consider bringing back corporal punishment for petty criminals who can't afford bail Should a person who steals ten loaves of bread be sent to prison for years, or given a painful walloping and sent home? That's the debate Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald has ignited after suggesting South Africa consider bringing back corporal punishment for petty criminals who can't afford bail. Speaking during a parliamentary discussion on the country's 2025 correctional services budget, Groenewald said the justice system was collapsing under the weight of overcrowded prisons, and bold ideas were needed. 'There are people sitting in prison for stealing food,' Groenewald said. 'Some wait up to three years for sentencing. Isn't it time we asked ourselves — should we bring back corporal punishment?' He was referring to more than 2,500 detainees who are stuck in prison simply because they can't afford a bail of R1 000 or less. These are often people accused of small, non-violent crimes. And they're part of a bigger crisis: South Africa has over 104 000 people in prison, in facilities built for far fewer. Beds are limited. Staff is stretched thin. And many of those awaiting trial don't need to be behind bars at all. But Groenewald's solution, physical punishment, has divided the country. For some, the idea is too close to South Africa's dark history. Human rights groups and political opponents quickly pushed back, saying the suggestion reminded them of the harsh justice handed out under apartheid, where the state used caning and other physical punishments as tools of control.' This isn't just about crime and punishment,' said a human rights lawyer. 'This is about dignity. This is about a state choosing whether to treat people as human beings or not.'The mention of corporal punishment immediately brought comparisons to apartheid's security forces, who were notorious for using violence under the name of justice.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store