DStv Channel 403 Sunday, 29 December 2024

Crime in SA | The country battling with a high number of reoffenders

SA's recidivism rates_1

POTCHEFSTROOM - Ninety percent of those who are released from prison in South Africa end up being rearrested and being convicted for crimes again.

The country has one of the highest recidivism rates in the world when compared to the likes of first world countries.

READ: Non-violent offenders due for early release

Experts put this down to government's failure to clear up areas of conflict in society which breed criminality, like inequality, poverty and unemployment.

But in a country like Finland, the reoffending rate drops to around 31 percent.

So what makes this difference? Dr Casper Lӧtter, a conflict criminologist affiliated with North-West University, took a look at the differences between the systems.

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