Suriname

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CountrySuriname
Ministry responsible
Ministry of Justice and Police
Contact address
Central Penitentiary Institution, Welgedacht - A273, District Wanica, Suriname
Telephone
+597 3 500042
Fax
+597 4 12109
Head of prison administration (and title)
(Director of Prisons)
Prison population total (including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners)
808
at November 2023 (national prison administration)
Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population)
134
based on an estimated national population of 603,900 at November 2023 (from United Nations figures)
Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population)
32.8%
(November 2023)
Female prisoners (percentage of prison population)
3.1%
(November 2023)
Juveniles / minors / young prisoners incl. definition (percentage of prison population)
5.7%
(2005 - minors)
Foreign prisoners (percentage of prison population)
19.3%
(1.7.2000 - of convicted prisoners only)
Number of establishments / institutions
21
(2022)
Official capacity of prison system
792
(November 2023)
Occupancy level (based on official capacity)
102.0%
(November 2023)
Prison population trend
(year, prison population total, prison population rate)
1998 560 120
2000 786 163
2005 820 167
2009 915 177
2011 1,010 194
2013 c 1,050 c 197
1998 560 120
2000 786 163
2005 820 167
2009 915 177
2011 1,010 194
2013 c 1,050 c 197

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.

                                                 SURINAME

Year

Number of
female
prisoners

Percentage
of total
prison population

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

2000
2005
2009

42
39
30

5.9%
4.8%
4.9%

9.0
7.8
5.8

2023

25

3.1%

4.1

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