Ghana recorded a 3.8 per cent increase in prisoners population last year and the Eastern Region had the highest number of offences committed.
Out of the total 10,435 offences committed throughout the country, the region recorded 4,249, the Ghana Prisons Service 2006 Annual Report said on Friday.
The daily average convict number also increased from 12,371 in 2005 to 12,847 in 2006, leading to 60 per cent overcrowding rate.
According to the report, out of the number of inmates brought in within the year 8,905, representing 98.2 per cent, were males while 164, representing 1.8 per cent, were females.
On foreigners, it said, Nigerians constituted 144 out of the total 350 foreigners admitted in 2006, adding that, 43 and 40 were also from Burkina Faso and Togo respectively.
Stealing constituted 51 per cent of the offences committed by inmates with a total number of 5,384 out of the 10,435 committed by prisoners.
The report also revealed that 118 prisoners lost their lives, with HIV/AIDS accounting for 31 deaths.
The Prisons Service expressed its appreciation to faith-based organisations, corporate bodies and other institutions for their support and urged civil society to do more to assist with the transformation and reintegration of convicts.