Bermuda’s prison population rate has fallen — but it remains in the top ten in the world.

New figures show 305 people were locked up on the Island when the latest World Prison Population List was produced, a rate of 463 per 100,000.

The statistic has fallen from 532 per 100,000 in 2003, when Bermuda came second in the previous league table of prison densities. At that time, 343 people were locked up.

Prisons boss Bryan Payling said people should not be “overly concerned” by the high placing because it is misleading to compare prison populations on small islands with larger countries.

Mr. Payling pointed out that the top ten is dominated by a string of islands, including Cayman Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands and Cuba.

He said offenders are more easily apprehended on islands with small populations, keeping the rate high, while 20 or 30 foreign prisoners can send a small country’s prison rate soaring.

The survey was carried out by King’s College, London, and relates to dates from early 2004 to the end of October last year.

Top of the list was the US, with more than two million prisoners, at a rate of 738 per 100,000. Mr. Payling said people should treat the table with caution. “One person in prison is one too many,” he said, “but I think any society will find from time to time there are people who have to be removed from the general community because of the nature of their offences, and for the protection of other people.

“Prison population is a concern and it always will be a concern, but I would not place too much emphasis on this kind of league table. It’s very probably a reflection on the positives of policing in a small community.

“There are some gaps in the data in the table — it doesn’t include the numbers of offenders or the detection rates.

“If you have very effective policing in a community, that will lead to a rise in the prison population.”

Mr. Payling stressed overcrowding was not likely to become an issue in Bermuda’s jails.

“The prison population is lower than it has been for a while,” he said. “We are operating below capacity. The number of female offenders in custody is low, the number of young offenders serving sentences is low, and the so is the number of adult offenders.”

The cost of keeping a prisoner in jail in Bermuda has been estimated at more than $60,000 a year.

Bermuda’s prison population rate per 100,000 has fluctuated in the 300s and 400s over the past two decades, with the 2003 figure of 532 representing its high point. The rate was 447 in 1999, 359 in 1994 and 450 in 1992. The new study revealed 9.25 million people are held in penal institutions throughout the world, mostly as pre-trial detainees or sentenced prisoners. Almost half the world’s prisoners are in the US, China or Russia.

More than 60 percent of countries have rates below 150 per 100,000, including England and Wales, where the figure is 148.

It highlights how rates vary between different parts of the world. The average rate for western African countries is 37, while the average for Southern African countries is 267.

The average for South American countries is 165, compared with 324 for Caribbean countries.