Benin
| Author | George Kurian |
| Pages | 217 |
Page 217
Official country name: Republic of Benin
Capital: Porto-Novo; Cotonou (seat of government)
Geographic description: In West Africa, between Nigeria and Togo
Population: 7,460,025 (est. 2005)
The National Police of Benin is composed of the Gendarmerie Nationale and the Sûreté nationale. The Gendarmerie is by law a regular branch of the armed forces and is concerned with the maintenance of law and order. Though under the jurisdiction of the minister of defense, it has separate hierarchy and is divided into six companies. The Sûréte nationale is involved in criminal and investigatory work.
Total Police Personnel: 2,166
Population per Police Officer: 3,444
Offenses reported to the police per 100,000 population: 297. Of which:
Murder: 5.1
Assault: 102
Burglary: 4.6
Automobile Theft: 0.6
Prisons are under the Ministry of Justice, Legislation, and Human Rights and are administered by a director.
Prison conditions are extremely harsh and are characterized by a lack of proper sanitation and medical facilities, overcrowding, malnutrition, and disease. Family members are expected to provide food for inmates to supplement food rations. Women are housed separately but juveniles and pretrial detainees are housed with convicted prisoners. The prison at Natitingou is the only prison that is not overcrowded.
There are eight prisons, with an official capacity of 1,950 and a prison population of 4,961. Per 100,000 population, the prison inmate rate is 81. About 64.5% of the inmates are pretrial detainees, 3.5% women, and 1% juveniles. In 2004 a new prison opened at Akpro-Misserete in Oueme Department.
George Thomas Kurian
To continue reading
Request your trial