Haiti – Second in Prison Overpopulation Worldwide

Haiti has been listed as one of the countries with the most overcrowded prisons in the world. According to data from World Prison Brief, Haiti ranks second, with prison overpopulation placed at 454.4 percent after The Republic of Congo, which has the most overcrowded prisons worldwide at 616.9 percent.

Rounding out the top five list are Uganda, the Philippines, and Cambodia.

Meanwhile, in Latin America and the Caribbean, Haiti has the most overcrowded prison population followed by Guatemala, Bolivia, El Salvador, and Brazil.

According to data from the World Prison Brief, the countries with the lowest overpopulation rate worldwide are Mexico at 107 percent and Chile at 91 percent.

World Prison Brief states that overcrowding of penitentiary centers represents a danger for prisoners as well as for the population and also makes access to basic and health services difficult.

It adds that overcrowding can increase tensions and outbreaks of violence between prisoners. It also promotes the spread of diseases and violates the human rights of detainees. (CMC)