CMR prisons have more inmates than people prosecuted

The National Institute of Statistics (INS) has made public its findings for baseline indicators of criminal networks in Cameroon.

The INS document that was released in the nation’s capital Yaoundé revealed some shocking figures on the state of law enforcement and policing in the country in 2013.

According to the study by the INS, 6358 cases of crime were reported in Cameroon in 2013, against 5323 cases of banditry and 21,848 cases of delinquency.

The report also indicated that in late 2013, there were 26,644 inmates in Cameroonian prisons and 30,760 people in custody.

The statisticians of the National Institute noted that in Cameroonian prisons, inmates are more than people prosecuted and condemned. In 2013 alone, a total of 18,085 defendants were kept in Cameroonian prisons while 15,683 prisoners were released, including 56.4% of the defendants.

The central regions of the Far North, West, Littoral, have the largest number of inmates, with over 3000 each.