Policy and practice in South African prisons: an update

Abstract

In June 2003, the Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative (CSPRI) released a policy review concerning major developments in penal policy in South Africa since the advent of constitutionalism in 1994. This paper was widely disseminated and drew quite heated reaction from some quarters at the time. By and large the policies discussed pertained to previous corrections administrations and the fact that the new commissioner had been appointed in August 2001. This article gives an overview of the issues to which attention had been drawn in the earlier policy review and provides an update to some key changes that occurred subsequently.