Almost 10 000 prisoners were granted remission.
Lamola has rejected accusations from opposition parties that the majority of people who are released go on to commit more crimes.
Lamola was taking part in a debate in the National Assembly on assessing progress in strengthening the criminal justice system in the country.
The minister says the remission of sentences helps to reduce overcrowding in prisons.
“Less than one percent of parolees do commit crime, rehabilitate these offenders.”
In August, Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the new programme to reduce overcrowding in jails signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa wasn’t for any specific individuals.
He was reacting to the DA and other opposition parties who claim that former President Zuma was released under false pretenses labelled as “special remission”.
The President signed a remission for a number of prisoners, it wasn’t specific to one particular individual, so it just happened that Zuma formed part of that process as it was decided by the Department of Correctional Services. The Department of Correctional Services did clarify that there’s a shortage of beds. You have a high percentage of overcrowding in prisons which leads to all sorts of other problems in prisons even a rise of gangsterism etc. Therefore, they embarked on this process for all non-violent offenders,” Magwenya said in response.
