Incarceration Crisis: 1 Killed Every Day in Brazil's Prisons

In 2016, 372 inmates were killed in Brazil, an average of one each day, a statistic that casts a heavy shadow as the South American country continues to deal with the consequences days after the largest prison riot massacre in decades.

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The figure of prison deaths is set to rise after a clash between rival gangs beginning late Sunday left at least 56 dead, including several decapitated, at the Anisio Jobim jail in the Amazon jungle city of Manaus.

According to the latest report by the Brazilian Security Yearbook, more than half of the killings, 182, happened in northeastern prisons, followed by northern states with 78 murders. The only state without any such crimes, Espirito Santo, is located in the southeast.

With over 600,000 people currently incarcerated — a rate of 306 prisoners for every 100,000 citizens — Brazil has the fourth-largest prison population in the world and the largest in Latin America.

Two days after the Manaus massacre, Brazilian President Michel Temer said there was confusion about the role government forces should have played during the riot, the country's bloodiest prison massacre in more than two decades.

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Sergio Fontes, secretary of public security, said the Manaus prison had a capacity for 592 inmates, but at the time of the riot housed 1,224 — over two times its official capacity.

Temer said that state governments should seek reinforcement from federal forces in such situations, but at no time was the federal government asked for help.

The president also said his government would redouble efforts to finalize a national security plan, which would include a larger role for the federal authorities in security issues. At present, state governments are largely responsible for policing and running prisons.