Prisoners and The Wealth of Nations

Prisoners are treated differently all over the world. Some countries, such as Denmark (the 15th wealthiest country in the world as of 2019 according to USA Today), treat their prisoners with respect and give them prisoners privileges that prisoners in other countries can only dream of. In contrast, in countries like Afghanistan (the 16th poorest country in the world, as stated by USA Today), which has multiple cases of missing suspects and instances of torture executed by law enforcement, prisoners are treated in a cruel fashion that violates several of their basic rights as prisoners, as outlined in the Mandela Rules. This contrast raises the question: what causes these differing methods of treatment towards prisoners? Is it religious oppression? Is it the political aspect of countries and how some countries are more democratic than others? Or does wealth play the biggest factor? I have chosen to delve more into the financial standings of different countries and how it impacts their treatment of prisoners. By utilizing Dr. Cingranelli\u27s extensive coding system for rating countries based on how human-rights oriented they are, I hope to answer the question of whether or not the wealth of a nation impacts their prison system.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_spring2020/1018/thumbnail.jp