Prisoner Numbers

We are currently supporting 1056 British people held overseas, and 956 family members and friends.

Over the course of 2009 we helped 1652 British citizens in prison abroad.

For in depth statistics relating to age, gender and ethnicity of people receiving support from Prisoners Abroad, please download our latest General Statistics document (file size 19KB). For figures relating to countries of detention please download our Country Statistics document (file size 22KB). All figures updated June 2010.

The countries where Britons are held can be grouped together into three main sets: developing countries such as Thailand, Jamaica and Brazil; richer, industrialised nations where English is the first language, such as the USA, Australia and Ireland; and richer countries where English is not so widely spoken, such as Spain, France and Germany.

The effects of imprisonment will differ from person to person, but it is possible to generalise what the needs will be for prisoners in each of the above groups.

Developing countries often struggle to provide adequate food and clean water in prisons, meaning that inmates have to buy everything they need, sometimes even including medicine, security and a place to sleep at night. Violence is common in many countries. For Britons, who neither speak the language nor understand the culture, prison can be a life-threatening experience. Prisoners Abroad can send grants to prisoners who have no other support, so that they have enough to eat. We also provide vitamins to supplement the diet of people in countries where the need is greatest. And if illness strikes, we can pay for emergency medical treatment.

Prisoners held in industrialised, English-speaking countries may not suffer from shortages of food or clean water, but they will experience the usual isolation of prison. In addition, many prisoners in this group are resident in the foreign country prior to their arrest, and will be deported after serving their time. Rebuilding a life after prison is a challenge, but doing so when your family are many miles away in another country can leave ex-prisoners not knowing where to turn. Prisoners Abroad’s resettlement team are here to help people get their lives back on track.

In industrialised countries where English is not spoken widely, the lack of a shared language only increases the isolation of imprisonment. It can also mean that Britons are excluded from the work and education opportunities available to local inmates. This means that they are often just waiting for release, denied access to rehabilitation programmes. Prisoners Abroad can send English-language newspapers, magazines and books. We can also help to organise prison visits for family members, and advise on the practical difficulties which can make such visits seems so daunting.

For more information please contact info@prisonersabroad.org.uk.