The latest statistics show numbers have increased from 52 in 2017 to 82 in 2018 and 103 in 2019.

JICS spokesperson Emerentia Cupido unpacked some of the numbers.

"If we look at the last six months alone we've looked at 64 unnatural deaths," she said.

"Some of the stats are showing that the majority of these unnatural deaths have occurred because of suicides and then there are also official-on-inmate deaths occurring, as well as inmate-on-inmate deaths."

Cupido mentioned poor infrastructure as a contributing factor.

"Overcrowding is definitely a problem in prisons in South Africa and it leads to a myriad of other problems within the facilities."

eNCA