Action Society is calling for urgent reform of South Africa’s parole system following reports that more than 25,000—potentially nearing 28,000—parolees have absconded and remain untraceable. The organisation warns that the scale of unmonitored offenders highlights systemic failures within the criminal justice system that pose a direct threat to public safety.
Juanita Du Preez, spokesperson for Action Society, expressed deep concern over the lack of progress since the organisation first raised the issue through a Promotion of Access to Information Act application and public advocacy three to four years ago. “It seems like nothing has changed, and this is very concerning,” Du Preez stated. “These are not individuals incarcerated for minor offences. In many cases, they are in prison because they committed serious crimes, and now they are out on parole but cannot be monitored. Nobody knows where they are.”
The spokesperson highlighted that prison overcrowding has led to increased releases, yet there are insufficient parole officers to supervise those released. With reports indicating fewer than 8,000 parole monitors managing approximately 44,857 cases, the system is critically overstretched. Du Preez advocated for the adoption of available technology, such as electronic monitoring bracelets, noting that other nations utilise such tools effectively. “This is 2026. Technology that can monitor whereabouts is available. We have to think of different ways of doing things because the current approach is not acceptable,” she said.
South Africa’s reoffending rate exceeds 90%, often for the same crime for which an individual was originally sentenced, compounding community risk. Du Preez cited a distressing case involving a convicted sexual offender who, while on parole, sexually assaulted a second young girl after having previously assaulted a 12-year-old. The community was unaware of his criminal record, parole status, or that he should have been listed on the sex offenders register—a database that remains non-public in South Africa. “We won’t know if somebody is on the sex offenders register. We don’t know who is lurking around a corner. Are our lives in danger at every turn? We just don’t know,” Du Preez said.
Du Preez acknowledged efforts by Pieter Groenewald, South Africa’s Minister of Correctional Services, noting that he appears to be taking a more measured approach to parole decisions amid prison overcrowding pressures. “We are glad that with Minister Groenewald there, it seems like he is really trying to not just hand out parole nearly willy-nilly,” she said. “We understand why, because the prisons are overcrowded, but now we have these people coming out and we cannot track them.”
When questioned about accountability, Du Preez explained that responsibility spans the entire criminal justice ecosystem. While Correctional Services is tasked with post-release monitoring, systemic issues—including overcrowded prisons filled with remand detainees awaiting trial, prolonged court processes averaging three and a half years per case, and high crime rates—create a vicious cycle. “It’s not just one part that’s not working. It’s all the parts that aren’t working,” she noted.
Regarding solutions beyond electronic monitoring, Du Preez urged immediate, coordinated action. “The first step must be a complete plan on how the department and all other role-playing departments are going to handle this—and this should happen as soon as possible,” she said. She emphasised practical interim measures: urgently locating and tracking missing parolees to determine if they are reoffending or complying with parole conditions, and appointing more personnel to oversee cases while longer-term technological solutions are developed. Addressing cost concerns, she posed a critical question: “How much does it cost to keep people in prison? And what is the cost of a life against the cost of an ankle bracelet? We have to keep that in mind.”
Du Preez concluded by calling for collaboration over political contention. “What is not going to work is political parties and high-up people having a fight on social media about whose fault it is. There is a problem. It doesn’t matter whose fault it is—just solve it.” Action Society maintains that public safety demands immediate, practical steps to restore oversight and accountability within South Africa’s parole system.
