Seychelles

The Seychelles are a demographically inhomogeneous ex-slaveholder society with less than 100,000 inhabitants characterised by extreme income disparity and the highest imprisonment rate in the world.

(When the British gained control of the islands during the Napoleonic Wars, they allowed the French upper class to retain their land. Both the French and British settlers used enslaved Africans, and although the British prohibited slavery in 1835, African workers continued to come. Thus the Gran blan ("big whites") of French origin dominated economic and political life. The British administration employed Indians on indentured servitude to the same degree as in Mauritius resulting in a small Indian population. The Indians, like a similar minority of Chinese, were confined to a merchant class.)

In 2014, the Seychelles had the world's highest rate of imprisonment with 799 per 100,000 inhabitants. With only around 90,000 inhabitants, the islands counted 735 prisoners in 3 prisons, 8% of whom were women.

• "70% of the inmates at Montagne Posee are there for drug related offenses. The drug related offenses mainly include possession, trafficking, theft and burglary. Theft and burglary offenses are categorized under drug offenses because most time this crime is as a result of needing money to feed one’s drug habit,” Mr. Dodin explained.

• Mass Imprisonment in the USA YouTube

• Prisoners Seychelles (global economy)

• BBC online 2013 Imprisoned in paradise

• US Dept of State: Prison conditions were harsh due to overcrowding. Prisoners at Montagne Posee Prison alleged that a fellow inmate’s death resulted from physical abuse. - Physical Conditions:

"Prison conditions and overcrowding in Montagne Posee Prison, the main prison, significantly improved during the year. On June 1, implementation of the Misuse of Drugs Act decriminalized possession of small amounts of cannabis. Consequently, authorities released approximately 160 prisoners because their convictions were overturned. No remand detainees, however, were released based on this change. ..On March 21, the newspaper Seychelles Nation reported the death of Montagne Posee Prison inmate Robert Banane. Prison officials initially stated that Banane died of a fall but later stated that he was shot. Sixty fellow inmates signed a letter sent to weekly newspaper Le Seychellois Hebdo stating Banane died while fighting for the right of inmates to be treated humanely.-...An ombudsman may make recommendations to the National Assembly and the president to improve conditions for prisoners and detainees but had no authority to enforce such recommendations. Although the ombudsman is required to issue an annual report on inmate complaints and on investigations into human rights abuses and corruption, she did not do so for at least three years."

• Human Rights Länderinfo Seychellen