Want to know which countries have the largest prison populations in the world right now? You might not know this, but at the moment there are more than 10.2 million prisoners around the world. And, where are they? Well, in order to answer that question, we’ve compiled this list of the countries with the highest incarceration rates, i.e. the most prisoners per 100,000 of the nation’s population.
Prisons can be traced back to ancient times, when social organization shaped into the form of a state. Still very much in use nowadays, detention facilities are the most common form of punishment for a wide variety of crimes. Prison sentences can be longer than you imagine; just check out our list on The 6 Longest Prison Sentences Ever Given and find out how incredibly long someone be left to rot in jail (if only they could actually live that long).
In compiling our list, we resorted to the International Centre for Prison Studies, a research center at the University of Essex that has been devoted to the study of prisons and imprisonment since 1997. Moreover, their aim is to raise awareness on how imprisonment should be used and to contribute to improving imprisonment policies. In addition, the Centre seeks to call on those governments with high and rising rates of imprisonment, and urge them to reduce their incarceration rates.
At the moment, one of the Centre’s biggest concerns is the rising rate of the world prison population and the inappropriateness and ineffectiveness of the measure. Some disturbing findings regarding the United States include: almost half the world’s prisoners are in that country, China or Russia. That the USA is the biggest prison user in the world. And that in the United States there are 4,575 incarceration establishments, an impressive and upsetting amount.
Are you curious about the largest prison populations in the world? Will the U.S actually lead the list in prisoner rate in addition to overall prisoners? Let’s take a look at the countdown and find out which are the countries with the highest incarceration rates.
20. Antigua and Barbuda
Prison population rate: 389
Region: Caribbean
Establishments: Her Majesty’s Prison
Occupancy level (based on official capacity): 247.3% (don’t ask how they are crammed so full)
19. Sint Maarten (Netherlands)
Prison population rate: 396
Region: Caribbean
Establishments: Point Blanche Prison and House of Detention
Occupancy level (based on official capacity): 103.7%
18. Bermuda (United Kingdom)
Prison population rate: 411
Region: Northern America
Establishments: Westgate Correctional Facility, medium / maximum security for adult males; Farm Facility; Transitional Living Center; Co-educational Facility for adult females and Senior Training School for prisoners aged 16-21
Occupancy level (based on official capacity): 69.4%
T16. St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Prison population rate: 422
Region: Caribbean
Establishments: Belle Isle, Her Majesty’s Prison Kingstown (males), Fort Charlotte (females)
Occupancy level (based on official capacity): 84%
T16. Guam (USA)
Prison population rate: 422
Region: Oceania
Establishments: Adult Correctional Facility, Women’s Facility, Hagatna Detention Facility for pre-trial detainees and Community Corrections Center for minimum security prisoners
Occupancy level (based on official capacity): 120.3%
Five down, 15 to go on the list of the largest prison populations in the world. Keep reading on the next pages.
15. Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
Prison population rate: 425
Region: Caribbean
Establishments: H.M.Prison
Occupancy level (based on official capacity): 97.5%
14. Grenada
Prison population rate: 430
Region: Caribbean
Establishments: Her Majesty’s Prison, Richmond Hil
Occupancy level (based on official capacity): 230.3%
13. El Salvador
Prison population rate: 432
Region: Central America
Establishments: 23 prisons, 1 secure hospital ward
Occupancy level (based on official capacity): 320.3%
12. Russian Federation
Prison population rate: 467
Region: Europe
Establishments: 219 pre-trial SIZO institutions, 728 corrective colonies, 8 prisons, 41 juvenile colonies
Occupancy level (based on official capacity): 83.6%
11. Thailand
Prison population rate: 471
Region: Asia
Establishments: 34 central prisons, 4 remand prisons, 24 correctional institutions, 5 houses of relegation, 1 detention house, 49 provincial prisons, 27 district prisons
Occupancy level (based on official capacity): 133.9%
10. Rwanda
Prison population rate: 492
Region: Africa
Establishments: 13 prisons, 1 rehabilitation center for juveniles
Occupancy level (based on official capacity): 101.7%
9. Belize
Prison population rate: 495
Region: Central America
Establishments: Belize Central Prison, Hattieville
Occupancy level (based on official capacity): 94.3%
8. Cuba
Prison population rate: 510
Region: Caribbean
Establishments: 5 maximum security prisons, 195 other penitentiary institutions
Occupancy level (based on official capacity): –
7. Barbados
Prison population rate: 529
Region: Caribbean
Establishments: Her Majesty’s Prisons Dodds
Occupancy level (based on official capacity): 84.3%
6. Turkmenistan
Prison population rate: 530
Region: Asia
Establishments: 6 pre-trial institutions, 12 prison colonies, 3 treatment centres, 1 institution for military personnel serving sentences
Occupancy level (based on official capacity): 85%
5. Virgin Islands (USA)
Prison population rate: 535
Region: Caribbean
Prisons: Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility, Alexander A. Farrelly Criminal Justice Complex Alva Swan Annex. A Youth Rehabilitation Center is under the Department of Human Services, and occupants are not included in the prison population
Occupancy level (based on official capacity): 61%
4. Anguilla (United Kingdom)
Prison population rate: 543
Region: Caribbean
Establishments: Her Majesty’s Prison East and Her Majesty’s Prison West
Occupancy level (based on official capacity): 143.4%
3. St. Kitts and Nevis
Prison population rate: 611
Region: Caribbean
Establishments: main prison at Basseterre and prison farm on Nevis
Occupancy level (based on official capacity): 201.2%
2. United States of America
Prison population rate: 707
Region: Northern America
Establishments: 3,283 local jails at 2006, 1,190 state confinement facilities at 2005, 102 federal confinement facilities at 2005
Occupancy level (based on official capacity): 99%
1. Seychelles
Prison population rate: 868
Region: Africa
Establishments: Montagne Posée and prisons on Coetivy Island and Marie Louise Island
Occupancy level (based on official capacity): 80.8%
