US 'worlds biggest jailer'

The United States again leads the world in jailing criminals.

The International Centre for Prison Studies at King's College, London, said the US held 714 prisoners per 100,000 people and had topped the list since 2000.

"The US has managed in 200 years to reach two million prisoners," said Anton Shelupanov, of the International Centre for Prison Studies. American prisoners account for 22 per cent of the 9 million prisoners worldwide.

Russia had 786,900 inmates, or 550 per 100,000, the highest rate in Europe.