South African men more ready to marry ex-prisoners than women

In a surprising shift highlighted by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), men in South Africa appear significantly more willing than women to offer former prisoners a shot at a new life, whether through employment or marriage.

The latest data – Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey (GPSJS) 2024-2025 – reveals that male-headed households expressed greater comfort across the board in their dealings with former prisoners compared to female-headed households.

This finding offers a look at the gender divide regarding social reintegration and trust in a country grappling with high rates of dissatisfaction with its correctional services.

Stats SA findings into public perceptions of correctional services

Overall, South Africans are showing a slight increase in general comfort, with 82.2% of households comfortable welcoming a former prisoner into their place of worship – a rise from 79.6% in 2017-2018.

However, when it comes to the deep commitment of giving someone employment or marrying them, the numbers drop dramatically, exposing underlying societal reluctance.

While 60.4% of households stated they would provide employment to a former prisoner, and 35.1% were comfortable marrying one, male-headed households consistently topped female-headed households in these comfort levels.

This disparity is striking, especially considering that nearly two-fifths (37.7%) of households know someone who has been incarcerated. The Stats SA data suggests that South African women, perhaps more cautiously, view ex-offenders with greater apprehension regarding high-stakes relationships and economic opportunities.

Suspicions towards ex-prisoners’ rehabilitation

This reluctance is contextualised by deep scepticism towards the rehabilitation system itself. Only 43.5% of households reported being satisfied with how correctional services rehabilitate criminals.

Furthermore, a concerning majority (58.5%) of households agreed with the statement that “Prisons are just colleges for crooks” in 2024-2025. If citizens believe prisons fail to reform, it is understandable that acceptance remains low, especially among women who may be disproportionately affected by crime.

Despite the slight increase in general social acceptance, the survey confirms that men are stepping up to extend trust where women are hesitant.

For policymakers, this highlights a severe challenge: ensuring that rehabilitation services are effective enough to counter the widely held belief that prisons merely serve as training grounds for future offenders.

The question now is: What are you willing to risk to help an ex-offender rebuild their life?