Of interest to everyone, but particularly women I thought:

Global women prisoners top 500,000

7 August 2006

More than half a million women and girls are held in prisons globally, new research has revealed.

The first World Female Imprisonment List, drawn up by the International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS) at King's College, London, brought together data from 187 countries.

England and Wales' female prisoner population of 4,392 constitutes 5.7% of the total in the two countries.

The European average is 4.4%, said the report.

About a third of the worldwide total are in the US (183,000) and a further third in China (71,280), the Russian Federation (55,400) and Thailand (28,450), said the list compiled by Roy Walmsley.

ICPS director Rob Allen said: "Given the high financial and social cost of imprisoning women, the data should prompt policy-makers in every country to consider what they can do to limit the numbers of women locked up.

"Excessive use of imprisonment does nothing to improve public safety."

Evening Standard - London

------------------------------------------

Very surpised by this story and Thailand's placement on it, given its total population compared to so many other countries.

Edited August 7, 200619 yr by sriracha john

Do they count lady boys as female? or do they get put in male jails