Whether for murder, robbery, corruption, or dealing in illegal substances, women also commit crimes and serve time behind prison bars. Keep reading for hair-raising truths about female prisons in South Africa.
According to AfriCheck, there are 243 prisons across South Africa, but only 9 are exclusively for women.
- Female Centre JHB Prison
- Malmesbury Prison
- Pretoria Central Prison
- Worcester Female Prison
- Tswelopele Correctional Centre
- Westville Female Prison
- Pollsmoor Female Prison
- Drakenstein Prison
- Bizzah Makhate Correctional Services
The number of females in prison globally is increasing at a shocking rate. Many inmates do not have access to essential health services. Additionally, they also face physical and sexual violence.
Some children are born behind bars and spend as long as two years incarcerated with their mothers.
Department of Correctional Services data shows that in the 2021/2022 financial year, the prison population was 143 223 in South Africa, with 3 724 being women.
Some prison cells accommodate more inmates than they are supposed to.
The fictional drama Lockdown has several similarities to real female prisons in Mzansi. To learn more about life behind bars, don’t miss this prison drama on Mondays at 22:30 on your favourite channel, Magic Showcase.
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