‘Mandela Rules’ for prisoners, adopted by the UN, to be launched in July
The rules address issues of overcrowding and humane treatment of prisoners — but remand prisoners remain a headache
SA’s implementation of the "Mandela Rules" for the humane treatment of prisoners adopted by the UN will be a challenge, given the overcrowding of the country’s prisons. This emerged from a media briefing on Thursday by Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha ahead of his budget vote speech in Parliament. Masutha told journalists that Cabinet has approved the Mandela Rules in March and they will be launched in July. Member states of the UN committed themselves to the rules, which set minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners, in December 2015. The minister said the rules did not specifically prescribe occupancy levels but, in general terms, overcrowding militated against the delivery of effective services to inmates. The rules endorse the principle that prisoners be treated humanely and were accorded all their rights to proper nutrition, exercise, access to education and training, etc. "We do need to consider upfront that the continued challenge of overcrowd...
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