Bronze medal in prison overcrowding

The Economist posted this chart today about prison overcrowding around the world. Only Haiti and the Philippines have a higher rate of overcrowding than Venezuela. Also, the country’s data...

The Economist posted this chart today about prison overcrowding around the world.

Vzla-TasadeOcupacionCarcelaria

Only Haiti and the Philippines have a higher rate of overcrowding than Venezuela. Also, the country’s data sheet from the International Centre for Prison Studies indicate that the total number of inmates in our penitenciary system doubled between 2008 and 2012.

The consequences of this are more than evident, as 289 inmates have died in the first six months of 2013, according to a report from the NGO Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons. In average, it means one inmate death per day. It’s easier to die inside a jail than outside.