November 2023
North America
Material conditions
Facilities
United States
Additional inmate housing units and an outdoor recreation area along with access to Native American religious leaders must be implemented as part of a settlement with dozens of inmates.
United States: private equity is using prison phone, food and health systems to rack up profits
News
North America
Material conditions
Facilities
United States
Private equity firms are capturing systems people in prison use and making them even more brutal and unaccountable.
North America
Long-term prisoners
Activities
United States
We’re all too willing to argue about the inhumanity of executions. What about those of us who are still alive?
Europe
Mental health
Material conditions
Violence
United Kingdom
HM Inspector of Prisons says that conditions at HMP Bedford have deteriorated so sharply that they’ve had to issue an urgent notification for improvement.
South Africa: resonating stories
Testimonial
Africa
Access to legal rights
Material conditions
Facilities
Activities
South Africa
Five former prisoners share their experiences in South African prisons. Incarcerated for different lengths of time, at different periods and in different facilities, these diverse perspectives highlight the challenges faced by prisoners in South Africa.
South Africa: prisons in 2023
Analysis
Africa
Pre-trial detention
Women
Minors
Foreign prisoners
LGBTQI
Long-term prisoners
Mental health
Material conditions
Facilities
Suicide
Death penalty
Torture
Activities
Social ties
Alternatives
Work
South Africa
All there is to know about South African prisons in 2023. Key figures, life in detention, references: discover all the data gathered by Prison Insider.
Crises
Middle East
Discipline
Health
Mental health
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Torture
Violence
Israel
The increase in detained Palestinians in Israeli prisons since 7th October has reportedly resulted in overcrowding, deprivation of medical treatment, and restriction of drinking water and food. NGO and media reports also document violent and degrading arrests.
South Africa: eyes on the system
Interview
Africa
Health
Material conditions
Violence
South Africa
The Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS) is the oversight body responsible for supervising South Africa’s prison service. Prison Insider met with Edwin Cameron, the Inspecting Judge, and the JICS executive team to discuss prison conditions in the country.
South America
Discipline
Material conditions
Violence
Venezuela
The system that delegated power in Venezuela’s prisons to pranes, or criminal leaders, seems to be ending after a series of military takeovers of jails by President Nicolás Maduro.
Women
Europe
Mental health
Material conditions
Facilities
Rehabilitation
United Kingdom
In 2022, a new type of detention facility was introduced into the Scottish prison system: Community Custody Units (CCUs). Through trauma informed principles, their aim is to empower women to manage their sentence plans and support their community integration. Interview.
North America
Justice
Material conditions
United States
A tentative settlement in the amount of $4 million was presented on Thursday with regard to a class action lawsuit alleging inhumane living conditions and unethical treatment incurred by inmates at Southern Regional Jail.
South America
Violence
Venezuela
Venezuela has launched a series of raids to regain control of seven prisons from powerful gangs.
Africa
Access to legal rights
Discipline
Material conditions
Zimbabwe
Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged prison officers to be disciplined and uphold human rights principles when handling inmates in the course of their duties.
North America
Health
Material conditions
United States
Democratic lawmakers are introducing a package of legislation that they say will counter inhumane conditions in Wisconsin’s prisons and county jails.