SA's prisons could run out of beds as crime rate surges

[Jabulani22]

Release all those jailed and awaiting trial for cannabis related crimes and 30-40% of the beds will fee up immediately. And while doing this, Cyril Ramaphosa can expunge all past cannabis convictions so people with stupid dagga records can take up employment without the lifetime millstone of a criminal record hanging over their heads and which keeps them impoverished. This form of restorative justice in the greater public interest will be in alignment with the spirit and intention of the 2018 Con Court ruling.

The decriminalization and appropriate regulation of cannabis would free up +/- R3.5-billion in criminal justice, policing and correctional service resources.

The cost to the state for arresting, prosecuting and applying correctional sanctions in respect of each cannabis offender stands at +/- R240 000. This is the wholesale squander of hard earned tax payer funds. Our money.

Use the tens of thousands of beds freed up, and the R3.5 billion saving, to put real scumbags who harm society and commit heinous crimes behind bars where they belong.

These are the rational and right things to do which will have an immediate mitigating effect on prison over population, and at no extra cost to tax payers.

This wont free up 30-40% , some of those with cannabis convictions are guys that the cops couldnt pin the actual crime on so they may have "found" 4kg of drugs on them and some are dangerous too , if not before entering prison then certainly after spending time there .
Though the other parts of your argument are pretty sound , why should you be a criminal for smoking a plant .

 

[BandwidthAddict]

Send the quote for new beds to the SAP.

Payment must be deducted from salaries.

And on an unrelated note, mysteriously the cops can't seem to find any criminals. Arrests per month: 0.

 

[saor]

why should you be a criminal for smoking a plant .

They said exactly the opposite.

 

[Jabulani22]

They said exactly the opposite.

Read,comprehend,type.
In that order and together with all things mentioned in press/forum/etc

 

[AstroTurf]

Release all those jailed and awaiting trial for cannabis related crimes and 30-40% of the beds will fee up immediately.

No, 1041 of them will free up, as I mentioned earlier, police holding cells will be much emptier over the weekend though...

 

[TysonRoux]

The scum can sleep on the floor.

Bring back the death penalty to reduce the numbers.

 

[RonSwanson]

They said exactly the opposite.

Why should you be a plant for smoking a criminal?

 

[stormiezzz]

In South Africa it is safer to be in prison than outside.

 

[Flanders]

As far as I know, we don't have an active volcano in SA. There is a big hole in Kimberley though.

Then again...

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

To many people taking up the offer of Free board, lodging, food medical aid, clothing, etc. Times are rough, why must they look after themselves, when the tax payer, is more than willing to do it, better than they can themselves achieve.

 

[HartsockZA]

Death Penalty, Bring it back. no more overcrowded prisons, no more people not respecting the rules of the law and no more people being above the law after being sentenced to life imprisonment

 

[Bryn]

The scum can sleep on the floor.

Bring back the death penalty to reduce the numbers.

There are old vids on Youtube of some SA prisons, and I'm pretty sure most prisoners were sleeping on the floor even back then.

I'm not particularly sympathetic, but conditions are pretty horrific.

Death Penalty, Bring it back. no more overcrowded prisons, no more people not respecting the rules of the law and no more people being above the law after being sentenced to life imprisonment

A few issues with that:

1. Do you really trust the ANC with the death penalty?
2. Doesn't a single wrongful execution invalidate the entire exercise?
3. As is the case in countries with the death penalty, it will probably be massively more expensive to execute someone than to imprison them for life. Prolonged trials, special facilities, all the lengthy appeals, counselling for the executioners etc. compared to a +1 in the cattle class.
4. Our constitution makes a huge song and dance about the Bill of Rights being respected by all institutions in SA, and right near the top of that list is the right to life. Would you trust the ANC with modifying our constitution?

 

[ɹǝuuᴉM]

Why are beds needed? What's wrong with a basic mattress on the floor and a cheap blanket? Fit many more people into a cell. After all, a large chunk of our population lives like that anyway, and the roofs over their heads are less weather-proof.

So true...

 

[Slootvreter]

there's an island off cape town . . . .

It will remind them of apartheid

 

[Moosedrool]

 

[system32]

Here is one case where I'm happy to pay more tax to build more prisons.

No to Early release, pardons, parole, etc.
Do the crime, serve the time.

 

[Polymathic]

Deport all the foreign prisoners

 

[Slamz]

SA's prisons could run out of beds as crime rate surges

make them sleep on the floor then... really, its not that hard

 

[Beyond.Celsus]

In South Africa it is safer to be in prison than outside.

papa wag vi tjou

 

[BBSA]

Deport all the foreign prisoners

They will be back within a week.