Namibia

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CountryNamibia
Ministry responsible
Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security
Prison administration
Namibia Correctional Service
Contact address
Private Bag 13281, Windhoek, Namibia
Telephone
+264 819546000
Website
http://www.ncs.gov.na
Email
info@ncs.gov.na
Head of prison administration (and title)
Raphael Tuhafeni Hamunyela
Commissioner-General
Prison population total (including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners)
Circa
8 900
at 2021/22 (Office of the Inspector General of Police and national prison administration - 4,804 pre-trial detainees in police custody at July 2021, 4,087 in prisons at February 2022) (N.B. The trend information at the foot of this page and in the graphs does not include pre-trial detainees in police custody.)
Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population)
Circa
318
based on an estimated national population of 2.8 million at late 2021 (from United Nations figures)
Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population)
54.0%
2021/22
Female prisoners (percentage of prison population)
2.9%
(February 2022 - not including those in police custody)
Juveniles / minors / young prisoners incl. definition (percentage of prison population)
0.1%
(February 2022 - under 18; not including those in police custody)
Foreign prisoners (percentage of prison population)
8.9%
(February 2022 - not including those in police custody)
Number of establishments / institutions
13
(2019 - the number of prisons)
Official capacity of prison system
5 424
(February 2022 - capacity of the prisons)
Occupancy level (based on official capacity)
75.4%
(February 2022 - occupancy level in the prisons)
Prison population trend
(year, prison population total, prison population rate)
2000 4,883 254
2001 4,727 244
2004 4,442 218
2007 4,064 188
2010 4,251 191
2013 4,010 171
2016 3,742 148
2019 c 4,200 c 157
2000 4,883 254
2001 4,727 244
2004 4,442 218
2007 4,064 188
2010 4,251 191
2013 4,010 171
2016 3,742 148
2019 c 4,200 c 157

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Pre-trial/remand prison population: trend

The table below gives an indication of the recent trend in the pre-trial/remand prison population. The final row shows the latest figures available.

It consists of the number of pre-trial/remand prisoners in the prison population on a single date in the year (or the annual average) and the percentage of the total prison population that pre-trial/remand prisoners constituted on that day.  

The final column shows the pre-trial/remand population rate per 100,000 of the national population. 

                                                 NAMIBIA

Year

Number in
pre-trial/remand
imprisonment

Percentage
of total
prison population

Pre-trial/remand
population rate
(per 100,000 of
national population)

2001
2007
2010
2015

250
322
c. 340
234

5.2%
7.9%
c. 8%
6.6%

13
15
c. 15
10

2013
2015
2021/22

c. 3,720
c. 3,910
4,804

c. 49.4%
c. 54.0%
54.0%

c. 158
c. 161
172

N.B. In this table the figures above the line do not include pre-trial prisoners detained in police holding cells. Those below the line include all pre-trial/remand prisoners

It should be noted that the number of pre-trial/remand prisoners fluctuates from day to day, month to month and year to year. Consequently the above figures give an indication of the trend but the picture is inevitably incomplete.

The pre-trial/remand population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities. 

Female prison population: trend

The table below gives an indication of the trend in the female prison population. The final row shows the latest figures available.

It consists of the number of female prisoners in the prison population on a single date in the year (or the annual average) and the percentage of the total prison population that female prisoners constituted on that day. 

The final column shows the female prison population rate per 100,000 of the national population.

                                                 NAMIBIA

Year

Number of
female
prisoners

Percentage
of total
prison population

Female prison
population rate
(per 100,000 of
national population)

2000
2007
2015

104
110
85

2.1%
2.7%
2.4%

5.4
5.0
3.4

2022

118

2.9%

4.2

N.B. The figures in this table do not include pre-trial prisoners detained in police holding cells.

The number of female prisoners fluctuates and so the above figures give an indication of the trend but the picture is inevitably incomplete.

The female prison population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities.

(If the rate were calculated on the basis of the number of females in the national population it would of course be approximately double the figure in the final column).

Prison population total
Prison population rate