ak3ldama's Journal: Inmate population in Sheppey?!

Random wikipedia reading lead to this:

There are three prisons on the island, all located to the south of Eastchurch: HMP Elmley, HMP Standford Hill, and HMP Swaleside. The total inmate population is in the region of 2,200.

In the 2001 census, it had a resident population of 37,852, many of whom commute via the Sheerness-Sittingbourne rail link.

Doesn't that seem rather high? Is all of the UK/Britain like this?

Quick link to a blog post I put up recently.

Not sure ...

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

2200 out of 37000 works out to some 60 felons for 1000. Though this is a high ratio, we are assuming that only local felons are incarcerated there. If criminals from other parts of the country are also sent to these jails, then there might not be much to it. Though 60 prisoners for 1000, is a very high number for a country as a whole, it is possible for some localities to reach such high incarceration rates. Mostly blighted U.S. inner cities or unpoliced slums of super cities like Hongkong or Mumbai.