Crime > Sentence Length: Countries Compared

Author: Ian Graham <br>Staff Editor

Do long prison sentences deter criminals or are they an indication of a severe crime problem?

Colombia has the longest average prison sentence length, at 137 years. It also leads the world in kidnappings (total, per $ GDP and per capita), murders per capita, mortality due to assaults by explosive material(total and per capita), mortality due to assaults by other and unspecified firearm discharge per capita, and mortality due to assaults by sharp objects per capita.

Colombia is second for murders with firearms (total and per capita) and third for total murders. It is also in the top five for mortality due to assault in 18 of the 22 recorded categories.

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DEFINITION: Total average sentence length served.

CONTENTS

MAP
ANALYSIS

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Totals

#	COUNTRY	AMOUNT	DATE
1	RomaniaRomania	37,488	2002
2	BurmaBurma	16,616	2002
3	PanamaPanama	10,103	2002
4	FinlandFinland	2,762	2002
5	NepalNepal	2,216	2002
6	KuwaitKuwait	2,183	2002
7	VenezuelaVenezuela	1,422	2002
8	OmanOman	1,403	2002
9	MoroccoMorocco	736	2002
10	MaldivesMaldives	707	2002
11	ColombiaColombia	137	2002
12	MoldovaMoldova	93	2002
13	SurinameSuriname	91	2002
14	QatarQatar	80	2002
15	CroatiaCroatia	71.2	2002
16	BotswanaBotswana	60	2002
17	GeorgiaGeorgia	60	2002
18	LatviaLatvia	58	2002
19	EstoniaEstonia	55	2002
20	HungaryHungary	52	2002
21	LithuaniaLithuania	52	2002
22	BelarusBelarus	51	2002
23	South AfricaSouth Africa	48.08	2002
24	Dominican RepublicDominican Rep.	48	2002
25	AustraliaAustralia	41.8	2002
26	Czech RepublicCzech Republic	39	2002
27	United KingdomUnited Kingdom	38.6	2002
28	SwedenSweden	36	2002
29	SpainSpain	30	2002
30	United StatesUnited States	29	2002
31	PhilippinesPhilippines	24	2002
32	Papua New GuineaPapua NG	24	2002
33	ZimbabweZimbabwe	24	2002
34	PortugalPortugal	21.7	2002
35	AlbaniaAlbania	10	2002
36	MauritiusMauritius	9	2002
37	New ZealandNew Zealand	9	2002
38	TurkeyTurkey	9	2002
39	NetherlandsNetherlands	7	2002
40	Hong KongHong Kong	6	2002
41	UkraineUkraine	5	2002
42	IcelandIceland	4.7	2002
43	DenmarkDenmark	3	2002
44	MontserratMontserrat	2	2002
45	JamaicaJamaica	2	2002
46	CanadaCanada	1	2002

Citation

"All countries compared for Crime > Sentence Length", The Eighth United Nations Survey on Crime Trends and the Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (2002) (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Centre for International Crime Prevention). Aggregates compiled by NationMaster. Retrieved from http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Crime/Sentence-Length

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