Efficiency in the Global Prison System: A Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis

ABSTRACT This study systematizes the international literature on prison system efficiency, highlighting patterns and research gaps through a multidimensional framework. By situating efficiency within broader institutional, social, and rights‐based contexts, it examines how academic research has assessed carceral performance. A systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis were conducted in Scopus and Web of Science, retrieving 3845 publications. After applying criteria such as peer‐reviewed status, empirical focus, and relevance, 733 studies were included, of which 100 were selected for an in‐depth analysis based on citation frequency and thematic relevance. Findings show that most studies emphasize technical and managerial dimensions, especially resource allocation, while resocialization, institutional resilience, and prevention of harm are often overlooked. Research is concentrated on high‐income countries, with little focus on structural challenges in developing regions. The review identifies 21 gaps related to thematic blind spots, methodological inconsistencies, and geographic asymmetries, reflecting fragmented research communities and conceptions of efficiency disconnected from the lived realities and psychosocial consequences of incarceration. These findings not only confirm the expected neglect of the human and social dimensions, but also provide the first systematic and bibliometric synthesis of this topic worldwide.