SA was becoming an increasingly violent society and this had social and economic effects, Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha said on Wednesday. Masutha said he was concerned that there had been a spike in the number of people being given long prison sentences of more than 10 years. This was an indication that the country was becoming increasingly violent, he said. In addition to the strain this posed on society in general, the crime wave placed more pressure on SA prisons, which were overcrowded and in a general state of decay. Masutha gave a briefing shortly before his budget vote, during which he also flagged the constraints on staff capacity that he said had the potential to undermine the soon-to-be established high court in Mpumalanga. "In the past 13 years, sentences between six and 12 months decreased 51%; and those between 12 and 24 months plummeted 71%. Sentences between 10 and 15 years increased 77%. "The number of offenders sentenced to 20 years and...
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