Foreign prisoners

Sometimes figures should be left to stand starkly. The Telegraph reports

One in every seven inmates is now a foreign national. The prison system currently houses criminals from 168 countries.

Since 2001, the number of foreign nationals has risen from 6,926 to 10,834, an increase of more than 50 per cent. Over the same period, the number of British prisoners has risen by 12 per cent to around 66,000.

Jamaica tops the table of foreign prisoners, with 1,564 nationals, including 134 women. Nigeria has the second largest contingent, followed by the Irish Republic, Pakistan, Turkey and Somalia.