Disparate incarceration rates of foreign citizens in Europe compared to Anglo‐Saxon countries

Abstract

While the relationship between immigration and crime has been the focus of international research, particularly in Europe and North America, less attention has been paid to different rates of incarceration of foreign citizens between countries. Using data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on persons held in prison between 2015 and 2019, this study examines the impact of nationality on incarceration rates. The principal findings suggest, in most European countries, a significantly higher rate of foreign citizens held in prison compared to non‐immigrants. Conversely, the four Anglo‐Saxon countries studied here (Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States of America) did not demonstrate such a high rate of disparity compared to non‐immigrants. These results suggest the need to further identify the sociocultural and institutional factors that generate these differences between countries in order to develop equitable criminal justice systems across European and Anglo‐Saxon countries.