July 2024
Europe: criminalisation of existence
Interview
Europe
Foreign prisoners
Justice
How do security policies target migrants, the economically vulnerable, or racialised individuals? A workshop examined the decriminalisation of migration and poverty and the challenges civil society faces in presenting a counter-narrative. Lawyers Without Borders reflected on the discussions.
France: Olympic Games under control
Interview
Middle East
Health
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Violence
Egypt
Six detainees have died in one week at a detention centre in the al-Sharqia governorate in Egypt, the Egyptian Network for Human Rights (ENHR) has reported. Egyptian rights group says detainees suffered from “suffocation” due to overcrowding and poor ventilation.
Crises
Middle East
Justice
Protest
Death penalty
Iran
The “No Execution Tuesdays” campaign, a prisoner-led initiative against capital punishment in Iran, has entered its 25th consecutive week. This Tuesday, prisoners in Ardabil and Qaimshahr prisons participated in the campaign, expanding its reach to 11 prisons in the country.
North America
Women
Justice
Activities
Rehabilitation
United States
Across the country, people incarcerated in women’s prisons have less access to higher education opportunities compared to men’s prisons. That’s according to research from the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit that tracks educational opportunities for incarcerated people.
Crises
Middle East
Health
Material conditions
Iran
For the past twenty days, prisoners in Ghezel (Qezel) Hesar Prison in Karaj have faced significant issues with accessing clean water. During this period, the inmates have only had access to safe drinking water for seven hours a day, putting their health at serious risk. The prison officials’ failur…
Choosing the angle
Insights
Focus
United Arab Emirates: dozens of people sentenced to life in prison in mass trial criticized abroad
News
Middle East
Long-term prisoners
Access to legal rights
Justice
United Arab Emirates
A mass trial in the United Arab Emirates of dissidents that was widely criticized abroad has sentenced 43 people to life in prison, while others received other prison terms.
North America
Women
Health
Material conditions
United States
A woman in the Central California Women’s Facility, located in the Central valley city of Chowchilla, died as temperatures in the region climbed above 110F (43.3C). The California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP), an advocacy group, said it appeared the woman suffered a preventable heat death.…
Europe
Material conditions
Suicide
Overcrowding
Italy
“This is a high figure compared to the same month of July in 2023 and 2022, when 34 were recorded (with an increase of 16 deaths)” read the guarantor’s report. “There are 48 men and 2 women, 27 are Italian and 23 foreigners, from 14 different countries. Of the people who took their own lives, 19 (3…
South America
Activities
Rehabilitation
Argentina
The Tehuelches team made up of prisoners is a result of a social reintegration programme aimed at reducing the tendency of convicts to commit similar offences.
Europe
Material conditions
Facilities
Bulgaria
Minister of Justice Maria Pavlova opened on Friday a new dormitory at the prison in Plovdiv. The poor state of the Hebros dormitories had led to continuous complaints about living conditions from prisoners, Pavlova said. The new building, she said, meets all European and international requirements,…
Europe
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Ireland
The Inspector of Prisons has said the record levels of overcrowding in jails is “deplorable” and that he has been “sounding the alarm” of the crisis since he took up the position in August 2022.Mark Kelly also expressed grave concern at the “undesirable uptick in physical violence” the worsening ov…
North America
Access to legal rights
Justice
United States
The Colorado Department of Corrections refuses to provide sex offender treatment to people serving indeterminate prison sentences despite assuring them that once they go through the program they will be eligible for parole, a new federal lawsuit alleges.