Brazil’s Prison Population is
Third Largest Worldwide . . . and Growing
The world prison population has increased by approximately 10% since 2004. Here’s a look at how Brazil compares to the world and its neighbors, and what this means for the prisons in Brazil.
Total Prison Population
Brazil has the third largest prison population worldwide—only the United States and China have larger ones.
Prison Population Growth
The number of inmates in Brazil prisons increased 150% in the last decade. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Brazil has the fifth largest prison population increase in the world.
Brazil ranked first for largest prison population increase compared to other American countries.
Increasing Rate of
Imprisonment in Brazil
Within Brazil, the rate of inmates per 100,000 people has gone down in only eight of the states plus the Federal District, between 2007 and 2010. The rate increased by an average of 13.3%. Overall population growth in Brazil was 0.98% in the same period.
Lack of Space in Brazil’s Prisons
The increase in number of inmates has outpaced the federal and state government’s ability to create more space in the jails. Rio de Janeiro is the only exception. Comparing the increase of number of inmates to the number of jail spaces between 2007 and 2010 reveals the resulting overcrowding.
The Growing Problem
Even considering the new prisons that are being built, Brazil has reached a total deficit of 200,000 jail spaces—a 23% increase from 2007 to 2010.
Some increase in prison population is to be expected given the growth in the world’s population. A more useful measure, the prison population rate is calculated as the number of inmates per 100,000 people in the national population. Compared to the two countries with a larger prison population, Brazil’s rate continues to steadily increase.
