Abstract
The inadequate conditions of South Africa’s correctional facilities are well known. Health
care, sanitation, food provision, access to education and reading materials, and, in particular,
overcrowding are considerable challenges faced by the Department of Correctional Services
(DCS). Based on interviews with former prisoners, this article retrospectively examines the
conditions under which female inmates are incarcerated in South Africa. Findings show that
prison conditions in some female correctional facilities are poor and impact negatively on
prisoners during, and sometimes after, their incarceration.