Congo (Republic of)

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CountryCongo (Republic of)
Ministry responsible
Ministry of Justice and Human Rights
Prison administration
Administration Pénitentiaire
Contact address
BP 5340, Brazzaville, Congo
Telephone
+242 66 44 01
Fax
+242 81 41 67
Head of prison administration (and title)
(Col.) Jean Blaise Komo
Directeur Général
Prison population total (including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners)
1 388
at 2019 (via U.S. State Department human rights report - number in the two main prisons. At least 300 are believed to be held in the other prisons.)
Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population)
27
based on an estimated national population of 5.17 million at September 2019 (from United Nations figures)
Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population)
Circa
60.0%
(8.9.2014)
Female prisoners (percentage of prison population)
3.7%
(of those in the two main prisons, 8.9.2014)
Juveniles / minors / young prisoners incl. definition (percentage of prison population)
4.4%
(of those in the two main prisons, 8.9.2014 - under 18)
Number of establishments / institutions
12
(2021 - of which those in Brazzaville and Pointe Noire are by far the largest)
Official capacity of prison system
225
(2019 - capacity of the two main prisons Brazzaville and Pointe Noire))
Occupancy level (based on official capacity)
616.9%
(2019 - occupancy level in the two main prisons)
Prison population trend
(year, prison population total, prison population rate)
2005 1,550 44
2007 1,642 44
2009 2,410 60
2011 c 1,400 c 33
2013 c 1,500 c 33
2005 1,550 44
2007 1,642 44
2009 2,410 60
2011 c 1,400 c 33
2013 c 1,500 c 33

Female prison population: trend

The table below gives an indication of the trend in the female prison population.

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. 

                                             CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE)

Year

Number of
female
prisoners

Percentage
of total
prison population

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

2005
2009

82
99

5.3%
4.1%

2.3
2.5

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