Panama’s Prison Statistics

There are 10,370 people incarcerated in Panama according to March 2010 Panama Penitentiary System statistics.

The Panama Province heads incarcerations with 6,781 detainees held in six prisons with a total capacity for 4,913 prisoners.  The province’s prisons are the Cecilia O. de Chiari Feminine Center, the Renacer Rehabilitation Center and the La Chorrera, La Joya, La Joyita and Tinajita penitentiaries.

Additionally, there are 297 prisoners in Bocas del Toro; 349 in Cocle; 1,274 in Colon; 924 in Chiriqui; 140 in Darien; 172 in Herrera; 173 in Los Santos; 246 in Veraguas and 18 in Kuna Yala territory.

Of the total prison population, 9,655 are male and 715 are female.  With a total population of 3.5 million people in Panama, this means that 296 per 100,000 people are incarcerated.  The current prison capacity is for 7,145 bodies indicating that there is a surplus of 3,225 prisoners in the system or an occupancy level of 145.1 percent.

In world prison population totals, Panama ranks 86th in London’s King’s College International Center for Prison Studies list led by the United States with 2,304,115 (2008), China with 1,565,771 (2005) and Russia with 862,300 (2010.)

Photo Panama America (2009)