Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

September 23, 2020

United Kingdom: the disgraceful prisons expose ministers' refusal to learn from mistakes

News

Europe Access to legal rights Justice Material conditions Overcrowding United Kingdom

From probation reform to test and trace, the government has presided over a catalogue of public services failures.

September 23, 2020

Australia: prisoner advocates call for abolition of 'discriminatory' voting restrictions as inmates prepare to cast vote in state election for the first time

News

Coronavirus Pre-trial detention Oceania Access to legal rights Health Material conditions Overcrowding Rehabilitation Australia

For the first time in Queensland’s history, thousands of inmates in correctional centres across the state will be given the right to vote in the upcoming october state election.

September 18, 2020

Iran: detainees flogged, sexually abused and given electric shocks in gruesome post-protest crackdown

Pre-trial detention Women Minors Middle East Access to legal rights Justice Protest Torture Violence Iran

Hundreds have since been sentenced to prison terms and flogging and several to the death penalty following grossly unfair trials which were presided over by biased judges behind closed doors

September 18, 2020

Estados Unidos: informes profundamente alarmantes sobre esterilización forzosa de mujeres detenidas por el ICE

News

North America Women Foreign prisoners Access to legal rights Torture Violence United States

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: Spanish

September 18, 2020

Turquie: l’écrivain Ahmet Altan entame sa cinquième année en prison en Turquie

News

Culture Europe Long-term prisoners Access to legal rights Justice Turkey

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: French

September 15, 2020

Nicaragua: mujeres trans hablan desde las prisiones durante la COVID-19

News

Central America and the Caribbean Women LGBTQI Access to legal rights Justice Health Material conditions Nicaragua

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: Spanish

September 14, 2020

France : à quand un nouveau contrôleur général des lieux de privation de liberté ?

News

Europe Access to legal rights Justice France

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: French

September 13, 2020

Prison Insider in 2019

Activity report

Women Access to legal rights Mental health Death penalty

Prison Insider aims to gather and provide publicly useful information on the state of prisons and detention conditions across the world. Take a look at the activities carried out in 2019 by leafing through our activity report.

September 7, 2020

Tunisia: prisons reforms through international influence

Interview

Africa Access to legal rights Justice Protest Rehabilitation Tunisia

Better conditions of imprisonment, effective prison administration and security: a new face for Tunisian prisons. Yasmine Bouagga, sociologist, answers our questions.

September 7, 2020

Brazil: drugs, walls and being a woman

Interview

Women Access to legal rights Drugs Brazil

Ranked as the world’s third-highest prison population, its number of imprisoned women is rising increasingly.

July 29, 2020

Colombia: Corte Constitucional avala sin muchos cambios el decreto de cárceles

News

South America Access to legal rights Justice Colombia

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: Spanish

July 29, 2020

États-Unis: People are dying in prisons, and not just from COVID-19

News Analysis

Coronavirus North America Access to legal rights United States

Randall Jordan-Aparo, Darren Rainey and Latandra Ellington are not household names. But like Michael Brown, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, they were killed by law enforcement officers.

July 29, 2020

Bolivia: inmates at prison stage uprising over lack of medical services amid suspected coronavirus deaths

News

Coronavirus South America Access to legal rights Health Protest Bolivia

Inmates at a prison in central Bolivia staged a rooftop protest Monday, demanding medical services after the deaths of three inmates, including one suspected of having the novel coronavirus.

July 23, 2020

Nowhere to turn

Investigations

Africa Foreign prisoners Access to legal rights Morocco

Some fight for freedom, others try to get it back. Migrants and prisoners often share the same experience: their freedom has been taken away from them. Morocco’s overcrowded hidden prisons: an investigation into the migration routes.

July 15, 2020

Cuba: Humiliation non-stop

Testimonial

Central America and the Caribbean Foreign prisoners Access to legal rights Justice Health Material conditions Torture Cuba

Jacques was arrested in February 2017 by the Cuban criminal justice system and was immediately incarcerated in a state owned highly secured prison, held incommunicado for 48 days. Her daughter became fatherless overnight. He was transferred to France in September 2019. He narrates to Prison Insider…

May 28, 2020

USA: en Floride, des milliers d’anciens détenus pourraient retrouver leur droit de vote

News

North America Access to legal rights Justice United States

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: French

May 5, 2020

Türkiye: a life in isolation

Interview

Europe LGBTQI Access to legal rights Material conditions Facilities Turkey

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) prisoners represent a minority. Their protection is not ensured at all levels and their specific needs are neglected. Hilal Basak Demirbas works at the Society in the Penal System association. She regularly exchanges letters with LGBTI prison…

April 14, 2020

Belgium: "les prisons sont au bord de l’explosion, on risque le drame"

News

Coronavirus Europe Access to legal rights Health Drugs Violence Social ties Belgium

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: French

March 11, 2020

Mexico: mujeres padecen el olvido en las cárceles

News

Central America and the Caribbean Women Access to legal rights Mexico

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: Spanish

March 11, 2020

France: aux élections municipales, les détenus ne pourront pas voter en prison

News

Europe Access to legal rights Activities Rehabilitation France

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: French

March 11, 2020

El Salvador: la emergencia nacional en las cárceles

News

Central America and the Caribbean Access to legal rights Justice Violence El Salvador

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: Spanish

February 27, 2020

USA: pretrial detainees to vote at first polling place in Cook County Jail

News

North America Access to legal rights Justice United States

42 voting machines will be brought in during the first two weekends in March — marking the first time in the country a polling place will be available for pretrial detainees.

February 27, 2020

USA: bill to restore felons' voting rights dies on the floor of the Washington senate

News

North America Access to legal rights Justice United States

Legislation to automatically restore the voting rights of convicted felons when they are released from prison has died unexpectedly in the Washington state Senate Wednesday.

February 27, 2020

USA: more than 60,000 Missourians on probation or parole can’t vote

News

North America Access to legal rights Justice United States

When Missouri holds its presidential primaries next month, more than 63,000 residents will be barred from participating because they’ve been convicted of a felony and are serving a sentence on probation and parole.