NCJ Number
219022
Date Published
2007
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This seventh edition of the World Prison Population List provides data on the number of prisoners held in 214 independent countries and dependent territories as of the end of October 2006.
Abstract
The report indicates that just over 9.25 million people were held in penal institutions throughout the world, mostly as pretrial detainees or as sentenced prisoners. Almost half of these are in the United States (2.19 million), China (1.55 million plus pretrial detainees and prisoners in "administrative detention"), or Russia (0.87 million). The United States had the highest prison population rate in the world, 738 per 100,000 population, followed by Russia (611), St. Kitts & Nevis (547), U.S. Virgin islands (521), Turkmenistan (approximately 489), Belize (487), and Cuba (approximately 487). Sixty-one percent of the countries had rates below 150 per 100,000 population. Prison population rates varied significantly among regions of the world and among different parts of the same continent. In Africa, the median prison population rate for western African countries was 37; whereas, for southern African countries it was 267. In the Americas, the median prison population rate for South American countries was 165.5; whereas, for Caribbean countries it was 324. In Asia, the median prison population rate for south-central Asian countries (mainly the Indian subcontinent) was 57; whereas, for (ex-Soviet) central Asian countries it was 292. In Europe, the median prison population rate for southern European countries was 90; whereas, for central and eastern European countries it was 185. In Oceania, including Australia and New Zealand, the median rate was 124.5. Updated information on countries included in previous editions of the World Prison Population List shows that prison populations have increased in 73 percent of the countries. 4 tables