Prison Statistics 2023 and Facts

Introduction

Prison Statistics: A prison is an institution that deals with the confinement of people who have been remanded in custody for criminal activities by the country’s judicial authority. These are also known as places of punishment and personal reforms and the main purposes of prisons are retribution, incapacitation, rehabilitation, and deterrence. As of reports it has been observed that in the United States, the incarceration rates have increased by 4% in 2022. These Prison Statistics include insights from various aspects that will shed light on why prisons are some of the best correctional homes for criminals all over the world.

Editor’s Choice

• In 2022, it’s been discovered that in more than fifty countries, about 1/3 of the world’s prisoners are presumed innocent, but are still in detention facilities that are pre-trial.
• By 2023, girls and female prisoners had a combined 60%, which translates to 740,000 prisoners, compared with men prisoners by 22% around the globe.
• In United States 2023, the United States is the 2nd largest nation with more prisoners, with nearly 1.68 million inmates around the globe.
• The statistics of prisoners who have been sentenced as classified by shares of security have a maximum of 36%, 25.1 percentage lower, 20.4% medium-low, 14.2 percent very high 2.4 percent unclassified, and 1.9 percent highest.
• In the month of June 30, 2023, the total amount of male prisoners on remand had reached 3,527. Prisoners who were sentenced totaled 4,510.
• The total quantity of female prisoners in remand was 264 while the number of sentencing prisoners was 212.
• On the 14th March of 2023, in the United States, almost 2 million were in state prisons 1,566 in 98 federal prisons. 3,116 local jails and 1,323 juvenile correctional institutions and 181 immigration detention facilities as well as 80 Indian prisons in the country.

Facts About Prison

(Source: Penalreform.org)

• United States prisons have more than 20% of world prisoners.
• By the end of 2022, the death penalty was abolished by 114 countries prisons.
• Over the world, 2.2 million people are in prison for drug offenses in 2023.
• From the data of 2022, it has been experienced that people within prisons suffered because of the poor healthcare systems and faced higher rates of mental health and infectious diseases such as HIV.
• In 2022, due to a lack of transparency on prisons increased death rates in prisons that were surveyed by 25 countries.
• As of years, prisons are termed as hotbeds of ill-treatment and torture and thus 77 countries have designated the National Preventive Mechanism for positively scrutinizing prisons.
• Almost 24 countries have announced plans for constructing new facilities of prisons resulting in 437,000 more spaces worldwide in 2022.
• From reports it was observed that out of 3 prisoners, 1 prisoner went through pre-trial detentions with having been sentenced and convicted.
• In January 2022, more than 100 prisoners were tested COVID-19 positive in Italy.

General Prison Statistics

• As of March 2023, Uganda’s system of prison is dealing with an occupancy level of 374% population of prison resulting in 74,900.
• Whereas, the overall occupancy level of France was increased by 119%.
• By the end of 2022, women prisoners were almost 60% resulting in 740,000 as compared to men prisoners by 22% across the world.
• In November 2022, half of India’s prison population had served life sentences.
• Reports published by new research, it has been observed that gangs operating in prisons of South Africa were using their own language called ‘Sabela’, and some identified tattoos for identification in 2022.
• According to research from 2022, currently 75 white supremacist prison gangs in the United States over 38 states.
• While in Chile there were around 754 prison gangs in early 2022.
• From the publishing of civil society in Venezuela, almost eight prisons were controlled by prison bosses named ‘planes’.
• Globally, around 23 million children were affected by imprisonment.
• In the United States 2022, almost 883 individuals received the death penalty which was increased by 53% from 2021.

Statistics by Largest Prisons

• As of 2022, New Bilibid Prison is the largest prison in the Philippines and as of now, it is holding more than 29,000 prisoners. The prison was built in 1940 and it includes many facilities such as basketball courts, religious denominations, gymnasiums, and educational sectors.
• Klong Prem Central prison is the 2nd largest prison in Thailand and was built in 1944. In 2022, almost 20% to 30% of prisoners were foreigners.
• Rikers Island is another biggest prison in the world it was built in 1943, in New York and by the end of 2022 the prison had 10,000 convicts. However, U.S. terminology does not consider this a prison as it has pretrial suspects and short-term sentences for prisoners.
• Silivri Prison is termed as the largest prison in Europe and Turkey which was constructed in 2008 and by 2022 the prison had around 22,000 prisoners.
• The next largest prison was Columbia’s La Modelo Prison which was opened in 1904. By the end of 2022, there were more than 11,000 prisoners, and around 60% to 70% more overcrowded was observed in the prison.
• Tihar Jail is another large prison that was opened in 1975, in Delhi, India. There were around 17,500 prisoners present in 2022 and the prison is spread over 400 acres.
• Louisiana State Penitentiary was the largest prison in the world situated in America and in 2022 total number of prisoners was almost 5,500.
• Bnag Kwang Central Prison one of the biggest prison located in Thailand was built in 1931 and the number of prisoners were 6,500 in 2022.
• Cook County Jail located in Chicago is 9th largest prison in the world and in 2022 the prison was holding 5,771 convicts.
• The 10th largest prison in the world was San Quentin State Prison which was located in California, United States, and the prison had 3,776 prisoners in 2022.

Prison Statistics by Country-Wise Prisoners

• In 2023, the country with the most people in prison is the United States resulting in 2,068,800.
• Furthermore, the countries with the most prisoners are China (1,690,000), Brazil (811,707), India (478,600), and Russia (471,490).
• People in other countries prisons are followed by Thailand (309,282), Turkey (291,198), Indonesia (266,866), Mexico (220,866), and Iran (189,000)
• The world prison population in 2022 was almost 10.35 million and in the United States, it was 2.1 million.

Prison Statistics by Rate of Incarceration

(Reference: statista.com)

• According to the reports of Statista as of January 2023, countries with the highest rate of incarceration
• El Salvador is the country with a maximum of 605 prisoners per 100,000 of the national population.
• Furthermore, other countries are followed by Rwanda (580), Turkmenistan (576), American Samoa U.S. (538), Cuba (510), United States (505), Panama (478), Virgin Island UK (477), Palau (428), Thailand (411), Bahamas (409), Uruguay and Guam U.S. (408) each.
• Whereas, comparatively fewer prisoners incarceration rates in other countries are Brazil (389), Turkey (374), Anguilla UK (367), St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (347) each, Belarus and Virgin Islands (345) each, Nicaragua (332), Grenada (323), Seychelles (320), Namibia (318), Maldives (314), Northern Mariana Islands U.S. (313), Cayman Island UK (312), Russian Federation (304), Costa Rica (301), And Cabo Verde (296).

People Locked in United States Prisons

(Source: prisonpolicy.org)

• As of 2023, in the United States 1, 047,000 prisoners were locked in state prisons, 514,000 prisoners in local jails, and 209,000 prisoners in federal prisons and jails.
• Prisoners share cases in state prisons are followed by violent (656,000), property (142,000), drug (132,000), public order (110,00), murder (158,000), manslaughter (163,000), rape/sexual assault (163,000), robbery (132,000), assault (146,000), theft (27,000), car theft (7,000), burglary (80,000), fraud (13,000), drug possession (34,000), driving under the influence (15,000), and weapons (39,000).
• Prisoners share cases in local prisons are followed by convicted (88,000), and not convicted (427,000).
• Prisoners share cases in federal prisons and jail prisons are followed by convicted (148,000), and Marshals (60,000).

Prison Statistics by Occupancy Level

(Source: statista.com)

• As of July 2022, the highest prison occupancy level around the world was achieved by the Republic of Congo with 616%.
• The other occupancy level is followed by Haiti (454.4%), Philippines (362%), Guatemala (357.1%), Cambodia (354.5%), Uganda (343%), Thailand (339.1%), Democratic Republic of Congo (322.8%), Burundi (289%), Cote d’Ivoire (287.5%), Bolivia (263.6%), Sudan (255.3%), Madagascar (251%), Chad (232.3%), Mali (223.3%), Liberia (222.1%), Mozambique (220.7%), Zambia (219.6%), Peru (212.2%), and Lebanon (211.5%)

Prison Population Statistics

 By Age Group

(Source: corrections. govt.nz)

• As of 31st March 2023, across the world, the maximum number of prisoners are aged between 30 years to 39 years resulting in 34.4%.
• The other prison population stats by age group are followed by 40 years to 49 years (20.9%), 25 years to 29 years (16.2%), 50 years to 59 years (11.8%), 20 years to 24 years (8.3%), 60 years and above (7.2%), and Under 20 years (1.2%)

By Ethnicity

• As of now, the prison population stats by top ethnicity are carried by Maori with a 52.8% share.
• European with 30.1%, followed by the Pacific (11.2%), Others including Asian (4.4%), and Unknown (1.5%)

By Offense Type

• The main offense types of prison are 22% sexual assault and 20.4% acts intended to cause injury.
• Followed by other offense types are unlawful entry with intent/burglary (10.4%), Homicide (9.3%), illicit drug offenses (8.4%), robbery and extortion (7.2%), offenses against justice (5.4%), theft (4.7%), abduction and harassment (3.5%), traffic (2%), prohibited and regulated weapons (2%), fraud and deception (1.8%), property damage (1.3%), public order (0.7%), unknown (0.1%), and miscellaneous offenses (0.1%).

Prison Statistics by pre-trial detention

• In 2022, in Haiti, 82% of the prison population was held in pre-trial detention.
• Whereas, in India and Nigeria around 70% of prison populations are under pre-trial detention.
• The women’s pre-trial detention rate has increased by 54% in Australia in 2022 from last year.
• As of April 2023, in the Philippines, there are 126,590 people were in jail mostly holding pre-trail detainees, and 50,686 people in 8 prisons in February 2023.

Prison Statistics by Regional Child Detention

• In 2022, the highest number of children detention was experienced by Latin America and the Caribbean 50,300 with a detention rate of 77%
• Whereas, 48,600 children in detention were found in Eastern and Southern African prisons with a 45% detention rate.
• The other regions number of children detention and detention rates are followed by South Asian prisons (44,900 and 12%), East Asia and the Pacific prisons (40,700 and 37%), North American prison (32,200 and 137%), Western Europe prisons (10,000 and 41%) Eastern Europe and South American prison (8,100 and 41%), Western and Central African prison (8,100 and 8%).

Prison statistics by Deaths

• According to the prison DEATH initiative and new research by PRI in 2022, the natural causes of prison death were found in higher-income countries such as Australia, Canada, Italy, and South Africa.
• In Ecuador by the end of October 2022, around 400 people have died in prisons because of clashes between gangs.
• As of January 2023, in Mexico, 19 people died in prison due to an attack by a cartel.
• According to the reports of Amnesty International, Iranian prison authorities delayed or denied to transfer of prisoners to hospitals for lifesaving treatment, and thus death percentage increased in 2022.
• In the United Kingdom, the death rate in prisons has increased by 9% resulting in 313 deaths in June 2023 as compared to June 2022 resulting in 288 deaths.

Prison Labor Statistics

• According to the Prison Labor Report Survey 2022, In the United States, 76% of workers were being forced to work overtime or faced many additional punishments.
• It was also observed that 70% of prison workers were not able to afford all their basic necessities with prison wages.
• Whereas, 70% laborers of in prisons also claimed that after joining they didn’t receive any formal or special training for dealing with prisoners.
• 64% of prison workers also said that they felt concerned about their safety while engaging with prisoners.

Issues of Prisons

• Poor conditions of prison occurred due to prison overcrowding around the world which results in life-threatening causes.
• As of 2023, the United Nations has set rules for better treatment of women prisoners and non-custodial measures for women offenders which will allow for an enhancement of the standard of prison treatment.
• Another increasing concern is the overuse of solitary confinement in prisons.
• Negative impacts with prisons rose due to poor sanitary conditions, inadequate lighting and ventilation, extremes of temperature, insect and rodent infestation, and insufficient or non-existent personal hygiene supplies.

Conclusion

As of today, looking at the Prison Statistics, it is clear that many countries have planned to expand the number of prisons and their areas. Understanding prison statistics is very important for every country because they help improve prisoners’ conditions significantly. As of 2023, across 120 countries there are more than 11.5 million people currently in prison they are mostly men. Hope the article will help in understanding the topic better.

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