'SA prisoners living a good life'

South Africa's prisoners have too many privileges and eat better meals than people outside prison, parliamentarians heard on Thursday during a public hearing on the review of the country's criminal justice system.

"It's something we have been hearing since visiting the Eastern Cape, the privileges of inmates, it has come out very strongly," Dennis Bloem, Parliament's correctional services committee chairperson, said.

"The food is better than outside and they watch TV the whole day."

Bloem said he had to agree that privileges of prisoners should not be seen as rights.

"Prison must be prison," he said.