Corruption and crimes are significant factors why lots of countries are struggling to develop around the world. They can’t seem to devise an effective plan through which these problems will be combated and put to rest once and for all. Despite such a struggle, it can be said that they aren’t tired of putting criminals and offenders of the law where they belong, which is the prison. The number of prisoners in every country differs as some states don’t have very high crime rates when compared to others around the world. The primary aim of this post will be to show you some of those countries which have proven to record the highest number of prisoners over the years. Don’t be shocked by the time you see your beloved country mentioned.
1 The United States
Although the US has been discovered to make about 5% of the world’s population, it tends to be leading when it comes to having the most prisoners. This, according to an expert, could be due to the penal code which has been considered to be strict legalization of weapon. This will cost the US government given that prison facilities are being built to accommodate these prisoners. With a total of over 2, 239, 751, it can be assumed that the government is expected to spend more than it has been spending on prisoners over the years.
2 China
China is the world’s most populous country and deserves to be mentioned in this list of countries with the highest numbers of prisoners. The total figure is about 1,649,804, which is quite high for a developed country according to experts. There are imprisonments which have failed to align with international standards in recent times. This can only bring about increased costs for maintenance of prisons and building of new facilities to accommodate new prisoners. Most of its prisoners are illegal immigrants, fraudsters, traffic offenders, and others. This figure would have been more than that had it been that some crimes don’t attract a death sentence.
3 India
The number of inmates in India is about 418,536. The problem is that despite its average number of inmates being very low for 100,000 residents, unlike the other countries being mentioned above, it still doesn’t have adequate facilities to accommodate them. The capacity rates when compared to inmates in some prisons have exceeded 250%. Lots of detainees have been awaiting trials for over two years without any success. Also, prison conditions are poor.
4 Thailand
The population of prisoners in this country is 349,804. The average rate of inmates for every 100,000 residents is about 465, which is quite alarming. There are lots of activities that inmates do carry out in this country. For instance, they can fight one another with the sole aim of earning cash or even fame. There are times when their sentences can be reduced through fighting activities.
5 Indonesia
The prison population in Indonesia is about 249,419. Although this country has been popular for its death penalty for crimes related to drugs, the population of its prisoners has increased by almost 100% over the past ten years. It is important to note most of these prisoners are awaiting trials as they haven’t been convicted yet. It is one problem that has generated lots of concern for both the government and experts around the world.
6 Turkey
The population of prisoners in turkey has been discovered to be 232,179. The most disturbing aspect is that the capacity of its prisons can’t seem to be accommodating inmates comfortably at the moment. Turkey has been severally accused of violating human rights when it comes to how people are being arrested over the years. There have also been instances where children were arrested illegally. This has exposed them to inhumane conditions like rape and torture. Most of the penal institutions around the country have been experiencing similar issues over the years.
7 Iran
The latest statistics carried out in June 2018 showed that Iran has a population of 230,000 prisoners. It has been discovered that for every 100,000 resident, there are about 289 inmates. The most alarming issue is that prisons cannot accommodate these prisoners. Most of the prisoners have been accused of causing political tension around the country through one means or the other. These people are subjected to torture, sexual abuse, and other illegal treatments.
8 Mexico
The number of prisoners in Mexico is about 204,749. This makes it take position number seven amongst other countries in the list. There has been an increase in the average number of inmates for every 100,000 resident, which has made this figure to increase significantly. There are prisons in Mexico where the inmates have to exceed their capacities by over 40%, which is quite alarming for both the government and the international community. In these prisons, there are criminal activities, mass killings, poor security, and other issues to be tackled.
9 Barbados
This country has got an abysmal history when it comes to how people have been handled and imprisoned over the years. There have been lots of wrongful arrests, thereby leading to a high number of prisoners which shouldn’t have been the case. The number of prisoners in this country is about 189,756. One aspect that has generated lots of debates over the years is the fact that the conditions in these prisons are deplorable. For instance, there have been reported cases of poor sanitation, rape, beatings, and others. These can be managed when the population is reduced.
10 South Africa
The number of prisoners in South Africa is about 158,111. Just like the case of India mentioned above, lots of people who make up this number have been awaiting trials for about 24–48 months. A major problem which the system seems to be facing at the moment is the fact that most of the prisons are overcrowded. There are prisons whereby inmates present have exceeded prison capacity by over 120%.
