The government has said today that it is trying to address overcrowding in prisons. It was responding to a call for it be held responsible for the stabbing deaths at one prison and a riot at another. Correctional Services Minister Sibusiso Ndebele had deemed overcrowding in prisons a key priority after his appointment in June, said his spokesman Logan Maistry. He was reacting to a Congress of the People claim that overcrowding and staff shortages played a role in the deaths of three awaiting trial prisoners at St Albans prison, in the Eastern Cape, on Friday, and a riot at Groenpunt prison, in the Free State, on January 7. However, Maistry says Ndebele had hosted a symposium on overcrowding, alternative sentencing and the white paper on remand detention in November. He says the recommendations of the symposium are currently being considered for implementation. - Sapa