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The number of prisoners serving life sentences has jumped by almost 2 400% percent since 1995.
That's according to judge Siraj Desai, the chairprson of the National Council of Correctional Services.
He told a colloquium in Pretoria today that in 1995 there were 433 prisoners serving life sentences in 1995 but this number has now climbed to more than 10 300.
Judge Desai said this created a problem for the Department of Correctional Services in terms of how to deal with so-called lifers.
He said this also added to the overcrowding in prisons
