Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

March 10, 2017

United Kingdom: prison fires in England and Wales at record high

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United Kingdom

Prison fires in England and Wales have reached record levels, according to official figures.

March 8, 2017

United Kingdom: female prison reform undermined by short custodial sentences

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Women United Kingdom

Government proposals for female prison system reforms have been welcomed as a step forward

March 7, 2017

United Kingdom: child's solitary confinement faces High Court challenge

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Discipline United Kingdom

Legal battle comes amid growing crisis in UK prisons

March 3, 2017

United Kingdom: une prison 4 étoiles pour 2 100 détenus britanniques

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Europe United Kingdom

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

March 1, 2017

United Kingdom: prisoners with serious mental health problems face urgent treatment delays

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Health Mental health United Kingdom

Almost 75% of prisoners are facing delays in being transferred to NHS hospitals to receive urgent treatment for serious mental health problems.

February 27, 2017

Grande-Bretagne : une prison privatisée confiée à Sodexo fait scandale

News

United Kingdom

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

February 23, 2017

United Kingdom: worst offenders could die in jail under plans for whole-life sentences to be examined by MSPs

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Long-term prisoners United Kingdom

Scotland’s worst criminals would die in jail under plans for whole-life sentences to be examined by MSPs.

February 22, 2017

Do the Dutch have the answer to UK prison crisis?

News

United Kingdom

The Prisons and Court Reform Bill is set to be published amid reports of a crisis - but is the answer to lock fewer offenders up? It’s the quietness that hits you first.

February 22, 2017

UK prisons 'holding child inmates in solitary confinement against UN torture rules'

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Discipline Torture United Kingdom

Investigation exposes serious allegations of international human rights breaches at young offenders institutions in the UK. British prisons are holding child inmates in solitary confinement in an alleged breach of UN torture rules and British law, The Independent has found. Lawyers in one case have…

February 21, 2017

Grande-Bretagne : une prison privatisée confiée à Sodexo fait scandale

News

United Kingdom

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

February 14, 2017

L'état des prisons britanniques

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Europe Drugs United Kingdom

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

February 13, 2017

Inmates have 'effectively taken over' one of Britain's biggest prisons

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United Kingdom

Inmates have effectively taken over at one of Britain’s biggest prisons, an undercover investigation has found.

February 13, 2017

UK: prison 'culture change' needed to prevent suicides

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Suicide United Kingdom

A culture change in the penal system is needed to stop the rising number of suicides in prisons, according to a new report. Campaigners say a “profound” shift is needed to move from a primarily punitive approach to one centred around rehabilitation and recovery.

February 12, 2017

UK: government to enshrine ministerial duty to rehabilitate prisoners into law for the first time

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United Kingdom

Liz Truss says she wants the prison population to go down but ‘for the right reasons’. The Government will for the first time enshrine into law an explicit duty for the Justice Secretary to ensure that prisons are places of rehabilitation rather than just punishment.

February 12, 2017

UK: HMP Northumberland prison officer: 'We have lost control of the jail'

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United Kingdom

A prison officer at HMP Northumberland has told an undercover reporter ‘we have lost control of the jail’, as shocking footage reveals major lapses of security, intoxicated prisoners and beleaguered staff. In tonight’s episode of BBC Panorama, a journalist experiences life inside the Acklington-bas…

February 4, 2017

United Kingdom: New law to help prisoners after release used once in a year

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United Kingdom

The law aims to help offenders access services such as housing, healthcare and addiction support.

February 1, 2017

UK: Exeter prison struggling with drugs and rising violence, say inspectors

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Drugs Violence United Kingdom

Assault and self-harm figures at Devon jail are revealed as justice secretary prepares to publish prison reform bill. Prison inspectors have warned that the situation at Exeter jail is “fragile”, with drugs thrown over the wall on a daily basis and only 29 officers on duty for 490 prisoners.

January 31, 2017

UK: prison suicides and how to stop them

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Suicide United Kingdom

Once upon a time, in 2013, in England and Wales, there were 76 people known to have died by suicide in prison. This was a higher rate of such deaths than in the general population. It concerned everyone who tried to make prisons safe. We have evidence of a higher than average rate of mental disorde…

January 31, 2017

United Kingdom: jails unsafe and 'full of drugs', says Chief Inspector of Prisons

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Drugs United Kingdom

Peter Clarke said recommendations made on the back of inspections appear to ‘fall on deaf ears’ in some instances

January 31, 2017

United Kingdom: prisons watchdog blames ‘failure of leadership’ for dire state of jails in England and Wales

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Europe United Kingdom

Prisons in England and Wales are struggling due to a “failure of leadership” on behalf of ministers, the watchdog said today.

January 30, 2017

UK: prisoner dies after 'drug overdose' at HMP Forest Bank in Salford

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Drugs United Kingdom

Death at prison which was under pressure to tackle use of new psychoactive substances is 16th in England and Wales in a month. A prisoner has died after a suspected drug overdose at Forest Bank prison in Greater Manchester.

January 28, 2017

UK: Inside tracks, life at the UK’s prison radio station

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United Kingdom

Every week, more than 75% of prisoners tune in to National Prison Radio. We meet the team at Brixton and Styal prisons and learn just how important the station is to this most captive of audiences.

January 28, 2017

Inside tracks: life at the UK’s prison radio station

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Culture United Kingdom

Every week, more than 75% of prisoners tune in to National Prison Radio. We meet the team at Brixton and Styal prisons and learn just how important the station is to this most captive of audiences

January 26, 2017

UK : prison suicides in England and Wales reach record high

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Suicide United Kingdom

Ministry of Justice figures show 119 inmates killed themselves last year, and assaults and self-harm also rose. A record 119 people killed themselves in prisons in England and Wales in 2016 – an increase of 29 (32%) on the previous year, according to Ministry of Justice figures. The record number o…