In addition to housing already convicted offenders, prisons are utilized to house those who are being held while they await trial. From the Roman era and before, detention has been used as a method of punishment.
In the 19th century, it was thought that contemporary notions of reform and rehabilitation would have taken the place of the archaic image of the dank, dark dungeon.
But today, mass incarceration, inhumane jail conditions, and the ensuing overcrowding problem have all returned to the forefront of social justice and human rights demonstrations in many cultures. In addition to being expensive to operate and sometimes understaffed, many jails also pose a threat to the environment.
Inmates may endure unpleasant circumstances, have limited access to healthcare, see a decline in their mental health, and possibly encounter from other prisoners and staff violence and abuse. In the prison, there are one hundred and forty people per one hundred thousands on a given day worldwide.
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The 6 largest prisons in the world
These are some of the largest prisons in the world for inmates number:
1. New Delhi, India – Tihar Jail (17,000 inmates)
Tihar Jail prison complex is known to be South Asia’s largest prison, located in West Delhi, India. It covers more than 400 acres of land. It has nine core prisons and separate cells for women, juveniles, and first-time offenders.
The Government of Delhi, Department of Prisons, has administrative authority of Tihar Jail, which also offers medical services and leisure activities to its inmates.
Supercop Kiran Bedi transformed the Tihar Jail system by exposing inmates to meditation, early morning prayers and NGO activities. According to newslaundry, the prison engages offenders and gives them professional music training using music therapy.
2. Los Angeles County Jail ( 20,000 inmates)
One of the oldest and biggest prisons in the world was established in 1850: Los Angeles County Jail. As well as those serving brief sentences, the facility is in charge of housing people who are detained pending trial or sentencing.
Under the control of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Los Angeles County Jail is in operation.
This prison resembles a little town, with a maximum capacity of 20,000. The University of Southern California offers educational opportunities to prisoners.
3. Turkey – Marmara Penitentiaries Campus (22,000 inmates)
With 22,000 inmates housed behind its gates, the Marmara Prison in Turkey, once the biggest prison in the world, holds the Guinness World Record for the greatest prison population.
The jail, formerly known as the Silivri Penitentiaries Campus, was constructed in 2008 and is a contemporary building with a maximum capacity of 11,000 inmates.
Many of those accused of taking part in the failed coup in 2016 that left over 300 dead and 2,100 injured were held in the maximum security jail.
4. Manila, Philippines – New Bilibid Prison (36,000 inmates)
The New Bilibid Prison opened its doors in Muntinlupa, Philippines, in 1940. During the Japanese occupation, NBP served as an internment center for both military personnel and civilians.
The jail is now overcrowded with 28,500 inmates while having a max capacity of 6,345 inmates. It is the main maximum security facility in the nation and the main facility for the imprisonment of dangerous felons.
The NBP has been in the news recently due to claims of corruption and breaches of human rights, as well as the discovery of illegal substances, firearms, and other contraband inside the facility.
5. El Salvador – La Esperanza Prison (33,000 inmates)
The La Esperanza jail in El Salvador was designed to house 10,000 criminals. But today it houses more than 33,000 inmates, making it one of the highest prison populations in the world.
Recently, Human Rights Watch attacked El Salvador’s jail administration after it discovered that 32 people had died while in detention. The majority of them at La Esperanza.
6. El Salvador – Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (40,000 inmates)
Built to lessen the severe gang violence and killings in the Central American nation, the “mega-prison” in San Vicente, El Salvador, has room for up to 40,000 convicts. The prison accepted 2,000 detainees for the first time in February, but it’s already facing criticism.
Each prisoner would only have 0.6 square meters of room in their cell if the facility filled to capacity, according to the Financial Times.
“Forty thousand is too many to manage in one place, period,” retired administrator Martin Horn. Who oversaw the notorious Rikers Island jail and the New York City Department of Correction, told the newspaper irrespective of the situation.
Read also: Top and worst countries for human rights according to the Human Freedom Index
An increasingly critical prisons problem worldwide
Overcrowding, cruel circumstances, and punitive political attitudes motivated by the fear of crime are prison issues that are becoming more and more important globally. Despite the fact that the violence of the American prison system is well-known.
The Institute for Crime and Justice Policy Research estimates that there will be 11.5 million inmates worldwide in 2021. Including those who have been found guilty and sentenced, pre-trial detainees/remand prisoners. Many of the largest prisons in the world, listed by population, already suffer overcrowding.
Read also: Death penalty, which countries still use it in 2023? An overview
