A report on the state of South Africa's prisons by the Auditor General reveals a serious lapse in maintenance standards.

Large numbers of awaiting-trial prisoners appear to be the reason for South Africa's grossly overcrowded prisons, some by more than 300% of capacity.

According to experts and ex-prisoners, young, good-looking men, homosexuals and white-collar convicts are most vulnerable to prison rapes.

Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour questioned escapee Annanias Mathe at the Pretoria prison on Saturday to learn more about the circumstances of Mathe's latest attempt to escape.

Annanias Mathe, one the country's most notorious criminals, has tried to escape from prison again.

With a plasma TV, a DVD player, $172 000 in cash, gym equipment, two refrigerators and a couple of guns, Genilson Lino da Silva had everything he needed for a luxurious life -- in his Brazilian prison cell.