The number of prisoners dying of natural causes has risen four-fold since 1996 while medical parole has only increased by 18%, the South African Institute for Race Relations said in a report this week.
”It is not clear why more prisoners are not released on medical parole to die in a dignified manner with their families,” said SAIRR deputy CEO Frans Cronje.
The recent granting of medical parole to fraud convict Schabir Shaik has thrown a spotlight on medical parole.
Under the Correctional Services Act of 1998, prisoners are granted parole if they are in the final stages of a terminal illness.
”The Department of Correctional Services has told the media that they do not track the number of medical parole applications. It is impossible to tell therefore whether sick prisoners simply do not apply for parole or whether they are actively discouraged or prevented from doing so.
”Prisoners are dying in the country’s prisons at an alarming rate,” said Cronje.
The report, issued on Friday, said the large number of deaths could possibly be attributed to the high prevalence of HIV/Aids in prisons and of new sentencing guidelines which have resulted in longer sentences.
Ten-year prison terms now comprise 47% of all prison sentencing. This is up from 2% in 1995.
Cronje said the statistics raised concerns about whether prisoners were receiving adequate medical care, and whether the prevalence of
sexual assault and violence in prisons and broader social and environmental problems were to blame.
”These questions have broader implications for the rule of law and commitment to human rights in South Africa. Prisoners are at the complete mercy of the state and if the state keeps them in squalid and violent conditions it should serve as a warning to the rest of society,” Said Cronje. – Sapa