Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

December 23, 2018

UK: Prisons ban Christmas cards with glitter due to drugs epidemic in jails

News

Europe Drugs United Kingdom

Measure in England and Wales aims to combat problem of post being sprayed with drugs.

December 15, 2018

United Kingdom: high levels of pepper-spray misuse found in prisons pilot scheme

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Europe United Kingdom

Prisons charity calls for halt to rollout after it finds officers routinely breached guidance.

December 9, 2018

UK: the prisons where inmates aren’t allowed a daily shower

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Europe United Kingdom

The government is “ignoring the fact that thousands of children and adult men are smelly and dirty because they cannot get a shower”.

December 9, 2018

United Kingdom: pepper spray used in non-violent situations in prison pilot

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Europe Violence United Kingdom

Pava incapacitant spray to be rolled out to all jails despite criticism during evaluation.

December 7, 2018

UK: burning blankets, blocked doors and teargassed cells in East London after violent prison protest

News

Europe Violence United Kingdom

Violent inmates started fires and blocked cell doors as part of a prison protest in East London on Tuesday, leaving warders no option but to fight back, using “force” and teargas.

November 30, 2018

United Kingdom : A third of prisons hold at least one transgender inmate, MoJ says

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Europe LGBTQI United Kingdom

Official data shows that 114 prisoners identified as female and 19 as male

November 28, 2018

United Kingdom : The scandal of ex-prisoners released into a new life – on the streets

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Europe United Kingdom

Figures obtained by the Guardian show a 25-fold increase in rough sleeping among those who served sentences of less than six months

November 19, 2018

United Kingdom: rise in prison suicides prompts calls to tackle overcrowding

News

Europe Suicide Overcrowding United Kingdom

Seventy-one inmates have killed themselves in English or Welsh jails so far this year.

November 12, 2018

United-Kingdom: 'Signs of improvement' at 'worst' prison

News

Europe United Kingdom

A troubled prison that was taken over by the government is showing early signs of improvement, inspectors say. HMP Birmingham was removed from the control of G4S in August after it was said to be in a “state of crisis”. The Independent Monitoring Board said conditions inside the jail had been “squa…

November 7, 2018

United Kingdom: children in prison aren’t coping - but nobody seems to care

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Europe United Kingdom

Most young people in English jails feel isolated and take drugs to deal with stress, grief and anger – it’s a ticking time-bomb.

November 6, 2018

United Kingdom: government reveals second new prison in England to be privately run

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Europe Facilities United Kingdom

Two new jails announced by the government are to be privately run, it has emerged, as the role of profit-making prisons comes under increased scrutiny after the crisis at the formerly G4S-operated HMP Birmingham.

November 4, 2018

United Kingdom: A la prison de Birmingham, la faillite d’une gestion privée

News

Europe Drugs Material conditions Facilities Violence United Kingdom

This article is not available in English. If you wish, you can consult the French version.

November 1, 2018

United Kingdom: inspectors warn of worsening conditions for mentally ill inmates

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Europe Mental health United Kingdom

Mentally ill prisoners in the largest high-security jail in the UK face “totally unacceptable” delays in being transferred to a secure hospital, leading to a further deterioration in their conditions, inspectors have said.

October 31, 2018

United kingdom: prison sentences for women of less than a year should be abolished, say mps and peers

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Women Europe United Kingdom

“It would save lives and reduce crime.”

October 19, 2018

United Kingdom: las mujeres que quieren trabajar en las cárceles de hombres

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Europe United Kingdom

This article is not available in English. If you wish, you can consult the Spanish version.

October 9, 2018

UK: Exeter prison condemned by inspectors for violence and drug use

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Drugs Violence United Kingdom

Scathing report comes as Prison Governors Association accuses government underfunding of contributing to jail safety crisis.

October 9, 2018

UK: prison pepper spray plan risks inmate safety, rights body says

News

Discipline Violence United Kingdom

Use of Pava by prison officers could cause pain and serious injury, UK watchdog says.

September 28, 2018

UK: Why doesn't prison work for women?

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Women Europe United Kingdom

Women make up just under 5% of the prison population in England and Wales, yet they are more likely than men to reoffend. Why doesn’t prison work for women and what is being done to improve outcomes for them? “The last day, I was given a bin bag of my stuff. The door closed behind me, and it was ov…

September 25, 2018

UK: it’s no wonder prisons are in crisis. Inmates are humans, too

News

United Kingdom

Strikes by prisoners and officers in the UK and US highlight how the failing prison system demeans us all. The last couple of months have been a crucial time for the prison system. The mass walkout by prison officers in England and Wales a fortnight ago, which was quickly called off by the Prison O…

September 11, 2018

United Kingdom: how sport in prison could stop reoffending

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United Kingdom

Opinion Rosie Meek: The MoJ’s promise of money is welcome, but I propose a radical, far-reaching sport programme for the justice system.

September 9, 2018

United Kingdom: sexual assaults in women's prison reignite debate over transgender inmates

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Women LGBTQI United Kingdom

A leading prison reformer has said prisoners who have committed violent offences against women should not be able to transfer to women’s prisons if they have not legally changed their gender, after it emerged that a transgender inmate had sexually assaulted fellow prisoners after transferring to a…

August 20, 2018

UK: the litany of failures that forced government to take over jail from G4S

News

United Kingdom

Inspectors were told it was ‘easy to get drugs’ by half of the prisoners surveyed, with one in seven claiming they became addicted to drugs while in jail

August 7, 2018

Inglaterra: los presos zombies, la terrible droga Spice y abusos de todo tipo en las cárceles

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Drugs United Kingdom

This article is not available in English. If you wish, you can consult the Spanish version.

July 25, 2018

UK: prison tensions risk boiling over as heatwave hits 'oven-like' jails

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United Kingdom

Fears over rocketing temperatures and poor ventilation.