Turkey: prison population increases by 14 percent in one year

The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) released the Prison Statistics for 2018 today (December 5). Accordingly, on December 31, 2018, the prison population of Turkey was 264 thousand 842, which marks a 14-percent increase in comparison with the previous year.

Out of prison population on December, 31, 78.9 percent was at the status of convicts and 21.1 percent at the status of arrested. 96.1 percent of the prison population were men and 3.9 percent of them were women.

Other highlights from the statistics are as follows:

323 out of every 100 thousand people behind bars¶

As of 31 December, 2018, while 188 out of every 100 thousand people were in prison in Turkey in 2013, this figure reached 288 in 2017 and 323 in 2018, marking a gradual increase every year. In 2018, this figure was 401 per 100 thousand people at and over the age of 12.

266 thousand 889 convicts entered prison in 2018¶

When every entrance record of a convict who entered prison more than once within the same year was considered different, the number of entrance records of convicts between the specified dates was 266 thousand 889.

When every discharge record of a convict discharged from prison more than once within the same year was considered different, the number of discharge record of convicts was 215 thousand 170. 96.2 percent of convicts received and 96.1 percent of convicts discharged were men.

2 thousand 95 juveniles entered prison in 2018¶

According to the age when they were received into prison, the number of juveniles (12-17 age group) who entered prison in 2018 was 2 thousand 95, marking an increase of 1.9 percent compared to the previous year.

According to the age when the offence was committed, this figure was 14 thousand 502, marking a 22.8-percent increase when compared with 2017.

Theft was the most committed crime for convicts¶

In the case of convicts who have been received into prison for committing more than one crime, one of the crimes that has resulted in major punishment was taken as main crime.

In this context, 17 percent of convicts received into prison between January 1 and December 31, 2018, committed theft, 12.4 percent of them committed assault, 6.7 percent of them committed production and trade of drugs, 5.8 percent of them committed opposition to the Bankruptcy and Enforcement Law and 3.5 percent of them committed homicide.

36.8 percent were primary education graduates¶

When convicts received into prison between January 1 and December 31, 2018 were examined by the committed crime, 47.3 percent of convicts who committed theft were graduates from primary education, 15.1 percent from junior high school and vocational school at junior high school level, 13.5 percent of them from primary school.

37.5 percent of convicts graduated from primary education, 23.4 percent of them graduated from high school and vocational school at high school level and 17 percent of them graduated from primary school.

36.9 percent of convicts who committed production and trade of drugs were graduates of primary education, 19 percent were of high school and vocational school at high school level and 18.8 percent of primary school.

29.9 percent of convicts who committed homicide graduated from primary education, 27.6 percent graduated from high school and vocational school at high school level, 17.2 percent of them from primary school.

37.7 percent of convicts who committed sexual crimes graduated from primary education, 20.6 percent of them from high school and vocational school at high school level and 17.2 percent of them from primary school.

Most committed crime for higher education was assault¶

When convicts received into prison between January 1 and December 31, 2018 were examined by education and the sequence of committed crimes; theft was the first order crime for 30.1 percent of those who were literate but not graduated from a school, 25.6 percent of those who were illiterate, 21.9 percent of those who were primary education graduates, 18.6 percent of junior high school and vocational school graduates and 13.9 percent of those who were primary school graduates.

Assault was the first order for the high school and vocational high school graduates with 13.3 percent and for the higher education graduates with 10.5 percent. (HA/SD)