Question NW1443 to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
02 August 2023 - NW1443
Yako, Ms Y to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
(a) What total (i) number of remand detainees are in custody because they cannot afford the bail amount granted by courts and (ii) amount is being spent by his department on the upkeep of the specified category of detainees and (b) in what way has he found is the continued detention of such detainees a contributing factor to the overcrowding of prisons?
Reply:
a) (i) it should be noted that no information is available that explicitly confirms that the remand detainees granted bail are still in detention due to inability to pay bail.
as at 31 March 2023, the total population of remand detainees was 55 745, of this number 4 495 were detained with the option of bail which constitutes of the total remand detainee population. A total of 2 728 were granted bail of R1000 and less while 1 767 were granted bail that ranged from more than R1000 up to R4 million.
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