Some 19,000 South African prisoners will soon be reunited with their families as part of the country’s efforts to decongest crowded prisons during the coronavirus pandemic, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday.
Those paroled would, however, be low-risk prisoners who are serving the last five years of their sentences, the president said.
The parole excludes inmates sentenced to life imprisonment or serving terms for specified serious crimes, including sexual offences, murder and attempted murder, gender-based violence and child abuse.
The released prisoners are expected to serve the remainder of their sentences under what is called Community Corrections Programme.
“The president has taken this step in response to a call by the United Nations to all countries to reduce prison populations so that social distancing and self-isolation conditions can be observed during this period,” the presidency said.
South Africa has a prison population of 155,000, but 172 prisoners and their guards are said to have tested positive for the deadly coronavirus.
None of the affected prisoners has, however, died from the disease, which has as of Friday killed 161 South Africans from 8,232 confirmed cases of the disease.
NM/jn/APA