Haiti Ranks Second Worldwide in Prison Overpopulation

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti –  Haiti has been listed 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% after The Republic of Congo, that has the most overcrowded prisons worldwide at 616.9%.

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% and Chile at 91%.

‘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, makes access to basic and health services difficult, and violates the human rights of detainees.