Prisoners and Detainees in Israeli Prisons
General Statistics - 2008-2009
Edited by: Adalah Attorney Abeer Baker
Data is presented below regarding detainees and prisoners in Israeli prisons, as collected from various sources. As of January 2009, approximately 22,500 individuals were imprisoned or detained in Israeli prisons; around 70% of those individuals are Arabs.[1]
Palestinian prisoners and detainees holding Israeli citizenship
January 2009
| Security classification | Criminal classification |
| 370 | 3,419 |
Palestinian prisoners and detainees that are residents of the West Bank and
January 2009
| Security classification | Criminal classification |
| 7,720 | 2,015 |
Prisoners and detainees with the classification of "security"
(total: approx. 8,200)
(January 2009)
| Palestinian citizens of Israel | Jewish citizens of Israel | Palestinian residents of Gaza | Palestinian residents of the West Bank | Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem | Syrians from the Golan Hights |
| 370 | 14 | 790 | 6,180 | 225 | 10 |
Administrative detainees and unlawful combatants[2]
January 2009
| Administrative detainees | Unlawful combatants |
| 570 | 20 |
Administrative detainees – detention period[3]
January 2009
| Number of Adminitrative Detainees | Detention period |
| 176 | Up to 6 months |
| 154 | 6 months and more |
| 120 | one year to year and a half |
| 56 | A year and a half to two years |
| 19 | Two to two and a half years |
| 18 | Two and a half to three years |
| 2 | Three and a half to four years |
| 0 | Four to four and a half years |
| 2 | Four and a half years and more |
Palestinian Minors in IPS's custody[4]
February 2009
| Age | Detained | Detained until end of proceedings | Convicted | Administrative detainees | total |
| Under 16 years of age | 10 | 31 | 13 | 0 | 54 |
| Under 18 years of age | 29 | 175 | 136 | 6 | 346 |
Prisoners and detainees by detention facility[5]
Southern District
January 2009
| Prison | Number of Prisoners |
| Oholey Keidar | 807 |
| Eshel | 783 |
| Detention facility, | 152 |
| Dekel | 961 |
| Nafha | 791 |
| Saharonim | 1,491 |
| Ofer | 1,059 |
| Ktzi'ot | 2,609 |
| Ramon | 891 |
| Shikma | 604 |
Central District
| Prison | Number of Prisoners |
| Ofek | 220 |
| Ayalon | 906 |
| Ashmoret | 200 |
| Hadarim Detention facility | 860 |
| Magem-Nitzan Detention facility | 829 |
| Tel Aviv Detention facility | 495 |
| Giv'on | 502 |
| Hasharon | 648 |
| Ma'asiyahu | 1,263 |
| Neveh Tirtza | 195 |
| Rimonim | 501 |
Northern District
| Prison | Number of Prisoners |
| Gilbo'a | 792 |
| Ramon | 598 |
| HaCarmel | 328 |
| Hermon | 513 |
| Meggido | 1,218 |
| Tzalmon | 1,064 |
| Kishon | 566 |
| Shita | 725 |
Recidivism, sorted by type of crime[6]
| | First detention | Second detention | Third detention | Fourth detention | Fifth detention | Sixth detention and beyond |
| Violence | 879 | 560 | 371 | 219 | 178 | 361 |
| Civil crimes | 15 | 4 | 5 | 4 | - | - |
| Security | 4,412 | 1,656 | 520 | 194 | 90 | 88 |
| Public order | 213 | 105 | 79 | 56 | 36 | 88 |
| Financial offenses | 50 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Moral crimes | 27 | 11 | 2 | 1 | - | 3 |
| Crimes against human life | 2,020 | 627 | 207 | 106 | 51 | 68 |
| Sex offenses | 763 | 238 | 76 | 59 | 28 | 43 |
| Fraud | 112 | 50 | 20 | 21 | 8 | 26 |
| Drug offenses | 321 | 289 | 248 | 170 | 135 | 420 |
| Transportation and licensing offenses | 79 | 53 | 41 | 36 | 16 | 12 |
| Offenses against property | 227 | 285 | 259 | 206 | 173 | 582 |
| Robbery | 136 | 114 | 89 | 65 | 32 | 72 |
| Other offenses | 132 | 61 | 41 | 31 | 21 | 38 |
| Illegal stay | 2,296 | 495 | 217 | 139 | 74 | 143 |
[1] Figures were provided to Adalah by the IPS' spokesperson, in his letter dated 29.1.2009. Data valid as of 20.1.2009.
[2] Ibid. it should be noted that according to B'Tselem, in January 2009, there were 564 administrative detainees, and in February 2009 their number was 542. Available at: www.btselem.org/Hebrew/Administrative_Detention/Statistics.asp
[3] See B'Tselem, available at:
http://www.btselem.org/Hebrew/Administrative_Detention/Statistics.asp
[4] See B'Tselem, available at:
http://www.btselem.org/Hebrew/Statistics/Minors_in_Custody.asp
[5] From statistics given by the IPS' spokesperson to the Legal Clinic for Prisoners Rights and Rehabilitation at Haifa University, 22.1.2009.
[6] From the IPS' response to an application by the Legal Clinic for Prisoners Rights and Rehabilitation at Haifa University, 22.1.2009.
