Detaining a Prisoner Costs 2x More Than Average Old Age Pension, report reveals

It has come to light that the amount spent daily to maintain a detainee in 2022 on the Island of Mauritius is Rs 858, representing Rs25,740 per month (Rs858 x average month of 30 days). This figure is more than twice the average old age pension (around Rs375 per day). The minimum salary earned by a Mauritian worker is Rs500/day.

The cost was Rs 800 in 2021. It has gone up by 6.7% in one year.

This figure is more than twice the average old age pension (around Rs375 per day). The minimum salary earned by a Mauritian worker is Rs500/day.

The figure comes from the Crime, Justice, and Security Statistics report compiled from the Mauritius Police Force, the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions, the Judiciary, the Mauritius Prison Service & the Probation and Aftercare Service. 

According to the report, out of the 5,016 adult convicts admitted to prison in 2022, a staggering 74.6% were repeat offenders who had been imprisoned before.

The number of persons suspected, arrested, and/or cautioned during criminal investigations soared by a staggering 72.4% in 2022, reaching 36,128 individuals compared to 20,951 in 2021.

Meanwhile, the number of cases referred to the Intermediate and Supreme Courts by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in 2022 rose by 58.1%.

Court data also showed a rise in both criminal cases lodged (25.6%) and disposed of (21.9%) in 2022, indicating an increasing workload for the judiciary. 

Source: Statistics Mauritius