Criminal (in)justice in South Africa: A civil society perspective

South Africa`s criminal justice system is in crisis, and has been for many years. The police and courts are overwhelmed, and prison overcrowding is a perennial problem. This book is a contribution to understanding where and how the criminal justice system is going wrong and what needs to be done to fix it.

The book opens with a detailed story of a real crime in a small town as told by the victim. Following the stages of this story, it takes the reader through the whole criminal justice process, from the police investigation to the court case, sentencing and incarceration of the perpetrators. At each stage the wider issues of laws, policies and disparities are analysed and constructive recommendations made.