Research Findings - World Prison Population (2nd Ed), Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate, 2000
Download original document:
![Brief thumbnail](/media/cache/e1/bb/e1bbb436b68ced6061258c541ff546fe.jpg)
Document text
![Brief thumbnail](/media/cache/e1/bb/e1bbb436b68ced6061258c541ff546fe.jpg)
Document text
This text is machine-read, and may contain errors. Check the original document to verify accuracy.
HOME OFFICE RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND STATISTICS DIRECTORATE RESEARCH FINDINGS No.116 WORLD PRISON POPULATION LIST (second edition) Roy Walmsley The World Prison Population List gives details of the number of prisoners held in some 200 independent countries and dependent territories. It shows the differences in the level of imprisonment across the world and makes possible an estimate of the world prison population total. KEY POINTS ᭤ Some 8.6 million people are held in penal institutions throughout the world, either as pre-trial detainees (remand prisoners) or having been convicted and sentenced. Half of these are in the United States (1.85m), China (1.4m) or Russia (1.05m). ᭤ Russia has the highest prison population rate in the world, some 730 per 100,000 of the national population, followed by the USA (680), the Cayman Islands (665), Belarus (575), Kazakhstan (495), the Bahamas (485), the US Virgin Islands (475), Belize (460), Bermuda (445) and Kyrgyzstan (440). ᭤ However, almost two thirds of countries (64%) have rates of 150 per 100,000 or below. (The United Kingdom’s rate of 125 per 100,000 of the national population places it at about the midpoint in the World List. Among European Union countries its rate is the second highest, after Portugal’s 130.) ᭤ Prison population rates vary considerably between different regions of the world, and between different parts of the same continent. For example: ● in Africa the median rate for western and central African countries is 50 whereas for southern African countries it is 260; ● in the Americas the median rate for south American countries is 115 whereas for Caribbean countries it is 330; ● in Asia the median rate for south central Asian countries (mainly the Indian sub-continent) is 45 whereas for (ex-Soviet) central Asian countries it is about 260; ● in Europe the median rate for southern European countries is 70 whereas for central and eastern European countries it is 220; ● in Oceania (including Australia and New Zealand) the median rate is 120. ᭤ Prison populations are growing in many parts of the world. Updated information on countries included in the first edition of the List shows that prison populations have risen in 70% of these countries; a similar pattern is evident in all continents. This second edition of the World Prison Population List has been compiled, like the first edition, from a variety of sources. In almost all cases the original source is the national prison administration of the country concerned, or else the Ministry responsible for the prison administration. Most figures relate to dates between the beginning of 1996 and the end of 1999. Since prison population rates (per 100,000 of the national population) are based on estimates of the national population they have been rounded to the nearest five in order to avoid a spurious appearance of precision. In order to compare prison population rates in different regions of the world, and to estimate the number of persons held in prison in the countries for which information is not available, median rates have been used because they minimise the effect of countries with rates that are untypically high or low. The List has a number of weaknesses. It lacks information on 19 independent countries and figures do not relate to the same date. Comparability is further compromised by different practice in different countries, for example with regard to whether all pre-trial detainees and juveniles are held under the authority of the prison administration, and also whether the prison administration is responsible for psychiatrically ill offenders and offenders being detained for treatment for alcoholism. People held in custody are usually omitted from national totals if they are not under the authority of the prison administration. Despite its limitations it is hoped that the World Prison Population List will be found useful by academic criminologists who are studying the use of imprisonment world-wide and by non-governmental organisations who are interested in variations in criminal justice practice. The data – for all its imperfections – may prompt fresh thought among policy makers and other criminal justice experts about the size of the prison population in their country, given the huge costs and disputed efficacy of imprisonment. RESEARCH FINDINGS No. 116 KEY TO SOURCES C of E ILANUD NPA Council of Europe UN Latin American Institute National prison administration OIP PRI Observatoire International des Prisons Penal Reform International Table 1 AFRICA Prison population total (no. in penal institutions incl. pre-trial detainees) Date Estimated Prison population Source of national rate (per 100,000 of prison population population national population) total Northern Africa Algeria Egypt Libya Morocco Sudan Tunisia 35,737 c.80,000 c.6,750 48,600 32,000 23,165 /96 /98 /98 /97 /97 31/12/96 28.6m 66.0m 5.3m 27.5m 27.9m 9.2m 125 c.120 c.125 175 115 250 OIP, 1997 Crim. justice expert, Egypt Crim. justice expert, Libya OIP, 1998 Conference paper, Jan 1998 United Nations 5th Survey 3,937 6,100 775 13,670 478 9,523 4,014 3,135 1,400 5,263 44,797 4,653 2,043 23/8/99 31/12/94 30/6/99 5/11/98 12/7/99 12/99 31/12/96 12/98 /97 1/10/98 31/10/99 9/97 6/11/98 5.9m 10.2m 418,000 14.4m 1.25m 19.7m 7.25m 10.8m 2.4m 10.15m 109.0m 8.8m 4.4m 65 60 185 95 40 50 55 30 60 50 40 55 45 NPA direct communication Burk. Faso human rights movement Crim. justice expert, Cape Verde NPA document Min. of Interior direct communication NPA direct communication Response to UN enquiry Rept. of Spec. Rapp. on Afr. prisons Conference paper, Jan 1998 NPA direct communication Crim. justice expert, Nigeria OIP, 1998 NPA direct communication 4,884 15,903 2,521 918 99 6/11/99 /97 1/96 /93 /94 12.5m 13.9m 6.4m 2.4m 130,000 40 115 40 40 75 UN mission in Angola OIP, 1998 OIP, 1997 PRI, from NPA United Nations 5th Survey 9,411 c.200 384 41,064 20,109 7,341 3,239 c.10,800 143,021* /97 /98 16/12/99 23/10/96 31/7/99 10/4/99 /97 12/97 30/11/98 6.4m 658,000 629,000 28.9m 15.5m 10.5m 1.1m 18.5m 6.9m 145 c.30 60 140 130 70 295 c.60 -* OIP, 1998 Crim. justice expert, Comoros Min. of Foreign Affairs, Djibouti OIP, 1997 NPA NPA document NPA direct communication Rept. of Spec. Rapp. on Afr. prisons Rwanda Human Rights League Western Africa Benin Burkina Faso Cape Verde Côte d’Ivoire Gambia Ghana Guinea Mali Mauretania Niger Nigeria Senegal Togo Central Africa Angola Cameroon Chad Congo (Brazzaville) Sao Tome e Principe Eastern Africa Burundi Comoros Djibouti Kenya Madagascar Malawi Mauritius Mozambique Rwanda *(Prison population total includes an estimated 135,000 held on suspicion of participation in genocide.) Seychelles Tanzania Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe Mayotte (France) Réunion (France) 157 45,715 21,971 12,500 19,256 123 1,019 27/10/99 1/12/99 30/6/98 /99 1/99 1/9/98 1/10/98 76,000 33.0m 20.6m 9.0m 11.45m 131,300 682,000 205 140 105 140 170 95 150 NPA NPA direct communication NPA direct communication NPA direct communication PRI Newsletter 36, 1999 French Ministry of Justice French Ministry of Justice 6,413 2,552 4,397 161,163 2,221 5/3/99 4/99 31/8/98 30/11/99 14/9/98 1.6m 2.1m 1.7m 40.1m 958,000 400 120 260 400 230 NPA direct communication NPA direct communication NPA direct communication NPA report to UN Congress NPA direct communication Southern Africa Botswana Lesotho Namibia South Africa Swaziland (No information 2 Western Africa: Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone. Central Africa: Central African Republic, Congo (Kinshasa), Equatorial Guinea, Gabon. Eastern Africa: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia.) RESEARCH FINDINGS No. 116 Table 2 AMERICAS Prison population total (no. in penal institutions incl. pre-trial detainees) Date Estimated national population Prison population Source of rate (per 100,000 of prison population national population) total North America Canada 32,970* /98-99 30.65m 110 Canadian Centre of Justice Statistics *(Average daily population 1/4/98-31/3/99) USA 1,860,520 Bermuda (UK) 286 Greenland (Denmark) 78 30/6/99 29/12/99 25/8/98 272.9m 64,000 56,000 680 445 140 US Bureau of Justice Statistics NPA direct communication Danish NPA, direct communication 1,097 8,526 6,868 8,169 10,869 139,707 7,198 8,517 /99 /99 /99 /99 /99 /99 /99 /99 239,000 3.7m 6.25m 11.7m 6.3m 97.4m 5.05m 2.8m 460 230 110 70 175 145 145 305 Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Antigua & Barbuda 225 Bahamas 1,401 Barbados 772 Cuba c.33,000 Dominica 298 Dominican Republic 14,188 Grenada 327 Haiti 4,152 Jamaica 4,288 St Kitts & Nevis 135 St Lucia 365 St Vincent & Grenadines 405 Trinidad & Tobago 4,794 Aruba (Netherlands) 223 Cayman Islands (UK) 244 Guadeloupe (France) 706 Martinique (France) 547 Neth.Antilles (Netherlands) 780 Puerto Rico (US) 16,524 Virgin Islands (UK) 43 Virgin Islands (US) 447 11/95 1/98 1/98 /97 /99 /99 1/98 /99 /99 /99 /99 /99 /99 11/98 6/12/99 1/10/98 1/10/98 65,000 290,000 263,000 11.1m 71,000 8.35m 99,000 7.9m 2.5m 40,000 150,000 110,000 1.365m 89,000 36,600 445,000 390,000 345 485 295 c.295 420 170 330 55 170 340 245 370 350 250 665 160 140 Information from W. Singh, PRI Survey for UN by Wendy Singh Survey for UN by Wendy Singh Nils Christie, Oslo University Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Survey for UN by Wendy Singh Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Dutch NPA direct communication NPA direct communication French Min. of Justice publication French Min. of Justice publication 11/98 31/12/98 19/8/99 31/12/98 214,000 3.8m 20,000 94,000 365 435 215 475 Dutch NPA direct communication US Bureau of Justice Statistics Pris.reform coord’tor, UK O’seas Terr’s US Bureau of Justice Statistics 38,604 8,315 194,074 30,852 57,068 8,520 1,697 4,088 27,452 1,933 6,198 23,147 /99 /99 /99 /99 /99 /99 1/98 /99 /99 /99 /99 /99 36.2m 8.15m 171.0m 15.0m 37.4m 12.4m 852,000 5.45m 25.6m 442,000 3.25m 23.7m 105 100 115 205 155 70 200 75 105 435 190 100 Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Survey for UN by Wendy Singh Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et al Elias Carranza,ILANUD,from NPA et all 3,47 10/98 144,000 240 French Min. of Justice publication Central America Belize Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Mexico Nicaragua Panama Caribbean South America Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela French Guiana/ Guyane (France) 3 RESEARCH FINDINGS No. 116 Table 3 ASIA Prison population total (no. in penal institutions incl. pre-trial detainees) Date Estimated Prison population Source of national rate (per 100,000 of prison population population national population) total Western Asia Bahrain Israel Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Qatar Saudi Arabia 305 9,337 3,749 1,735 5,000 527 7,939* 31/12/93 1/11/99 31/12/93 /97 /97 31/12/93 31/12/93 549,000 6.15m 5.1m 1.7m 3.1m 540,000 17.2m 55 150 75 100 160 100 45* Response to UN enquiry NPA direct communication UN enquiry (A/CN.15/1996/16/Add.1) Conference paper, Jan 98 Conference paper, Jan 98 UN enquiry (A/CN.15/1996/16/Add.1) UN enquiry (A/CN.15/1996/16/Add.1) *(sentenced prisoners only) Syria 14,000 United Arab Emirates c.6,000 Yemen 14,000* /97 12/98 /98 15.0m 2.4m 16.9m 95 c.250 85* Conference paper, Jan 98 Criminal justice experts in U.A.E PRI Newsletter 33, 1998 *(government managed prisons only) Central Asia Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan 82,945 19,857 c.6,000 c.6,000 c.60,000 1/5/97 1/5/97 /96 4/99 /96 16.8m 4.5m 6.3m 4.4m 23.3m /98 /98 31/12/93 /96 125.8m 982.0m 65.0m 265,000 495 440 c.95 c.135 c.260 NPA direct communication NPA direct communication Crim. justice expert, Tajikistan Government statement, Turkmenistan Crim. justice expert, Uzbekistan South Central Asia Bangladesh India Iran Maldive Is. c.50,000 381,147 101,801 1,098* c.40 40 155 415* Conference paper, Apr 99 Conference paper, Apr 99 UN enquiry (A/CN.15/1996/16/Add.1) Ministry of Justice, Maldive Is. *(sentenced prisoners only) Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka 7,000 74,485 18,619 /98 1/1/99 /99 23.4m 150.0m 18.6m 30 50 100 Report by Rani Shankardass Crim. justice expert, Pakistan David Biles, from NPA /99 /99 /99 /99 31/12/93 31/12/93 /99 322,000 10.9m 209.3m 21.8m 45.0m 65.5m 74.5m 90 35 25 125 120 55 30* David Biles, from NPA David Biles, from NPA David Biles, from NPA David Biles, from NPA UN enquiry (A/CN.15/1996/16 Add.1) UN enquiry (A/CN.15.1996/16/Add.1) David Biles, from NPA South Eastern Asia Brunei Darussalam Cambodia Indonesia Malaysia Myanmar (Burma) Philippines} Philippines} 286 3,832 55,026 27,148 53,195 35,864 21,287* *(does not include those in municipal and provincial prisons) Singapore 11,858* /99 3.5m 340* David Biles, from NPA *(does not include those in drug rehabilitation centres run by the Singapore Prison Service) Thailand Vietnam 197,214 55,000 /99 /98 60.9m 77.6m 325 70 China 1,408,860 Japan 52,715 Korea (Republic of) 69,102 Mongolia 6,414 Taiwan c.31,000 Hong Kong (China) 11,215 Macau (Portugal)* 778 /99 /99 /99 /99 /98 /99 /99 1,266.8m 126.5m 46.5m 2.6m 20.5m 6.65m 459,000 110 40 150 245 c.150 170 170 David Biles, from NPA David Biles, from NPA Eastern Asia David Biles, from NPA David Biles, from NPA David Biles, from NPA David Biles, from NPA Crim. justice expert, Taiwan David Biles, from NPA David Biles, from NPA *(Portuguese dependency until 20/12/99 when it became a ‘Special Administrative Region’ within China) (No information 4 Western Asia: Iraq, Oman. South Central Asia: Afghanistan, Bhutan. South Eastern Asia: Laos. Eastern Asia: Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea.) RESEARCH FINDINGS No. 116 Table 4 EUROPE Prison population total Date Estimated national population 1/9/99 1/12/99 31/12/99 1/9/98 12/11/99 20/11/99 3/10/99 30/9/99 30/9/99 (11/99) 30/11/99 30/11/99 29/11/99 29/9/98 30/11/99 30/11/99 30/11/99 5.3m 1.45m 5.15m 275,000 3.7m 2.45m 3.7m 4.45m 8.85m (59.6m) 52.8m 5.1m 1.7m 43,000 61,400 86,500 73,000 65 310 45 35 80 360 385 60 60 (125) 125 120 70 15 110 155 95 1/9/98 23/8/99 3.35m 66,000 85 30 C of E Annual Penal Statistics Tribunal de Corts, Andorra 31/8/99 30/4/98 31/12/98 1/9/99 1/9/99 2.5m 1.3m 4.6m 10.55m 57.6m 35 60 50 70 90 NPA direct communication NPA direct communication C of E Annual Penal Statistics Crim. justice expert, Univ. of Athens National statistics bureau (no. in penal institutions incl. pre-trial detainees) Prison population Source of rate (per 100,000 of prison population national population) total Northern Europe Denmark 3,496 Estonia 4,465 Finland 2,389 Iceland 103 Ireland 2,929 Latvia 8,868 Lithuania 14,259 Norway 2,695 Sweden 5,270 United Kingdom (73,195) –England & Wales 65,993 –Scotland 6,010 –Northern Ireland 1,192 Faeroe Is. (Denmark) 7 Guernsey (UK) 67 Jersey (UK) 135 Isle of Man (UK) 70 NPA direct communication NPA, C of E steering group Statistics Finland C of E Annual Penal Statistics NPA direct communication NPA, C of E steering group NPA, C of E steering group NPA direct communication NPA direct communication Calculated from next three entries NPA direct communication NPA direct communication NPA direct communication Danish NPA direct communication NPA direct communication NPA direct communication NPA direct communication Southern Europe Albania 2,922 Andorra 20 Bosnia & Herzegovina –Federation 836 –Republika Srpska 787 Croatia 2,227 Greece 7,525 Italy* 51,427 *(by agreement with Italy, persons imprisoned by San Marino and Vatican City are held in Italian prisons) Macedonia (F Yug Rep) 1,105 Malta 260 Portugal 13,086 Slovenia 980 Spain 44,197 Gibraltar (UK) 29 1/9/98 1/9/98 1/9/99 31/12/99 31/12/99 30/11/99 2.0m 378,000 10.0m 2.0m 39.4m 27,200 55 70 130 50 110 105 C of E Annual Penal Statistics C of E Annual Penal Statistics NPA direct communication NPA direct communication NPA document NPA direct communication 31/8/99 31/12/99 1/9/99 31/1/99 30/6/99 1/9/98 10/98 31/12/99 1/9/99 8.2m 10.2m 59.0m 82.2m 32,000 427,000 32,000 15.85m 7.1m 85 80 90 95 75 90 40 90 85 Statistics Austria NPA direct communication French Ministry of Justice German Federal Ministry of Justice President of Crim. Court, Liechtenstein Central Statistical Services, Lux’bourg Information from Pierre Tournier NPA direct communication Swiss Federal Statistical Office 3.8m 7.7m 650,000* 200 325 40 C of E report,Armenian prison system C of E report, Azerb’jan prison system Cypriot Min of Justice and Public Order Western Europe Austria Belgium France Germany Liechtenstein Luxembourg Monaco Netherlands Switzerland 6,877 8,135 53,948 79,666 24 392 13 14,057 5,950 Europe/Asia Armenia Azerbaijan Cyprus 7,608 24,881 247* 2/98 2/7/97 1/9/99 *(does not include the internationally unrecognised Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Including TRNC the population of Cyprus is estimated at about 750,000 in 1999, plus about 100,000 Turkish settlers.) Georgia 10,158 Russian Federation 1,060,085 Turkey 64,907 5 12/98 31/12/99 1/9/98 5.4m 145.5m 63.6m 190 730 100 C of E report, Georgian prison system NPA C of E Annual Penal Statistics RESEARCH FINDINGS No. 116 Table 4 cont. EUROPE Central and Eastern Europe Bulgaria Belarus Czech Republic Hungary Moldova 11,773 58,879 23,060 15,110 10,044* 1/9/98 31/12/97 31/12/99 31/12/99 1/1/99 8.25m 10.2m 10.3m 10.05m 3.65m* 145 575 225 150 275 C of E Annual Penal Statistics United Nations 6th Survey Inst for Crim&Soc Prevention, Cz.R NPA direct communication NPA direct communication *(does not include the internationally unrecognised Transdniestria. Including Transdniestria the national population of Moldova is estimated at 4.3 millions in 1998.) Poland Romania Slovakia Ukraine 56,765 49,790 6,628 217,400 (No information 31/12/99 31/12/99 1/9/98 12/99 38.65m 22.45m 5.4m 50.7m 145 220 125 430 Publicat. of Inst. of Justice, Warsaw NPA website C of E Annual Penal Statistics NPA direct communication Southern Europe: Yugoslavia.) Table 5 OCEANIA Prison population total Date (no. in penal institutions incl. pre-trial detainees) Australia 20,656* /99 Estimated Prison population Source of national rate (per 100,000 of prison population population national population) total 18.7m 110 David Biles from NPA 145 130 45 35 150 80 100 30 85 45 25 180 225 125 390 155 160 David Biles from NPA David Biles from NPA United Nations 5th Survey F S Micronesia Stats. Yearbook David Biles from NPA David Biles from NPA David Biles from NPA David Biles from NPA David Biles from NPA David Biles from NPA David Biles from NPA US Bureau of Justice Statistics David Biles from NPA French Min. of Justice publication US Bureau of Justice Statistics French Min. of Justice publication US Bureau of Justice Statistics *(average daily population, 1999) Fiji 1,180 Kiribati 91 Marshall Is. 23 Micronesia, Fed States of 39 New Zealand 5,778 Papua New Guinea 3,566 Samoa 176 Solomon Is. 134 Tonga 87 Tuvalu 1 Vanuatu 46 American Samoa (US) 112 Cook Is. (NZ) 45 French Polynesia (France) 280 Guam (US) 629 New Caledonia (France) 303 Northern Mariana Is. (US) 112 (No information /99 /95 /94 /97 /99 /98 /98 /99 /94 10/92 /99 31/12/98 /95 1/10/98 31/12/98 1/10/98 31/12/98 806,000 70,000 52,000 114,000 3.8m 4.6m 174,000 430,000 100,000 9,000 183,000 63,000 20,000 220,000 162,000 197,000 70,500 Nauru, Palau.) REFERENCES Walmsley, R. (2000). World prison populations: an attempt at a complete list. In Imprisonment today and tomorrow (2nd edition). Editors: Dirk van Zyl Smit and Frieder Dünkel. Deventer and Boston: Kluwer. Roy Walmsley, of the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate, is involved in technical co-operation projects, mainly on the improvement of prison standards, for the United Nations and the Council of Europe. The Research, Development and Statistics Directorate exists to improve policy making, decision taking and practice in support of the Home Office purpose and aims, to provide the public and Parliament with information necessary for informed debate and to publish information for future use. The views expressed in this report are those of the author, not necessarily those of the Home Office (nor do they reflect Government policy). ‘Research Findings’ are produced by the Research, Development and Statistics Directorate. For further copies contact: Communications and Development Unit, Room 201, Home Office, 50 Queen Anne’s Gate, London SW1H 9AT. Telephone: 020 7273 2084. Facsimile: 020 7222 0211. E-mail: publications.rds@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk Internet: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/index.htm 6 © Research, Development and Statistics Directorate 2000 Crown copyright 2000 ISSN 1364-6540