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10 Nations with Massive Prison Populations

10 Nations with Massive Prison Populations

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Overcrowding is a problem in prisons across the world. The last time a worldwide count was conducted in 2001, the United Nations reported more than 8.5 million people were being held in penal institutions in countries that took part in the census. Experts believe the numbers have increased significantly since then, particularly in the U.S. and China.

The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime says the rapid growth in prison populations in some small nations results in the spread of disease and many alleged human rights violations. Though they’re not opposed to new prison construction, U.N. officials say new prisons do not always provide sustainable solutions. They encourage nations with overcrowding to focus on improving criminal sentencing policies and developing alternatives to prison for non-violent offenders.

Here are 10 nations with some of the highest prison populations.

California Prisons United States
The incarceration rate in the U.S. is the highest in the world today, more than double the average in other countries. There are more than 2.5 million people in U.S. prisons – that’s more than 700 out of every 100,000 people.

Rwanda

Rwanda
Rwanda may have far fewer prisoners per capita than the U.S., but the numbers are still significant with an estimated 527 prisoners for every 100,000 people. A staggering number of these prisoners are still serving sentences related to the 1994 Tutsi uprising. Rwanda’s incarceration rate has been decreasing since then.

georgia_prisonGeorgia
While Georgia has made some of the greatest strides in democratization among the former Soviet states, it has also developed one of the highest imprisonment rates in the world. There are more than 22,000 inmates incarcerated in Georgia, many in overcrowded prisons. One prison in Tbilisi is at over 133 percent of capacity.

cuban_prison

Cuba
Though independent sources have no way of verifying the information, Cuban officials reported more than 57,000 prisoners incarcerated in 2012. While that means Cuba’s rates are still very high worldwide, reports suggest hundreds, if not thousands, of political prisoners have been released in the last few years — which may indicate overall incarceration rates in Cuba are on the decline.

Prisons-Life-in-Latin-Americas-Honduras-and-Mexico-002Mexico
Mexican prisons are allegedly some of the most overcrowded in the world. Occupancy levels are consistently above 134 percent of capacity. Per capita, however, Mexico has about one-third as many prisoners as the U.S.

Russian_prisonRussia
More than 650,000 Russians are currently imprisoned, which puts the nation high on the list of incarceration rates worldwide. More than 90 percent of prisoners in Russia are reportedly male, and about 17 percent have not been formally sentenced. Another cause for concern: more than 4,000 prisoners reportedly died in 2012. A high mortality rate suggests overcrowding and inhumane conditions.

UKRAINE_PRISON_NOV_92-600x407Ukraine
Numbers from Ukraine suggest overcrowding problems, with 334 out of every 100,000 people currently incarcerated. The U.S. State Department’s 2009 Human Rights  report alleged that conditions in Ukrainian prisons were harsh, and that pretrial detention was often lengthy and handled arbitrarily.

south africaSouth Africa
Incarcerations rates in South Africa have steadily risen in the last two decades. The total number of people incarcerated is estimated to be more than 150,000 prisoners out of a total population of roughly 50 million. Occupancy levels are reportedly more than 35 percent over capacity in many of the nation’s prisons.

china_prison_52617531China
In sheer numbers, China has the second-highest prison population in the world with more than 1.5 million prisoners total. Per capita however, there are less than 118 people incarcerated out of every 100,000. That’s above average worldwide, but significantly lower than the rates in some of the other nations on this list.

israelIsrael
Incarceration rates in Israel are high with more than 225 people incarcerated for every 100,000 living within Israel’s borders. Critics say many of Israel’s prisoners should be classified as political prisoners because they were arrested and sentenced for crimes related to the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict.