Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

June 17, 2020

Ecuador: two inmates die in Lacatunga's prison riot

News

Coronavirus South America Health Protest Ecuador

Prisoners demanded better health conditions and accused the authorities of condemning them to death, since they allow people who are already infected to enter the wards.

June 17, 2020

Brazil: COVID-19 breeds fear and calls for change

News

Coronavirus South America Health Brazil

Carolina, a Brazilian mother, hasn’t heard anything from her jailed son since March when authorities banned prison visits due to the coronavirus outbreak and she is scared. As COVID-19 deaths rise in Brazil’s violent and overcrowded jails, activists have called for tens of thousands of prisoners to…

June 17, 2020

Venezuela: al menos 1.410 reclusos han sido puestos en libertad desde el inicio de la cuarentena

News

Coronavirus South America Justice Health Venezuela

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

June 17, 2020

Ukraine: COVID-19 has reached prisons

News

Coronavirus Europe Health Ukraine

Ukraine’s jails are struggling to cope with COVID-19 – jeopardising inmates’ health in the process.

June 11, 2020

Yemen: rights group says detainees face ‘slow death’ in prison

News

Middle East Health Material conditions Yemen

The Yemeni Abductees’ Mothers Association in the city of Aden yesterday warned that the detainees in Bir Ahmed Prison are facing a “slow death” due to ill-treatment by the prison administration. The group said in a statement that the prison administration deliberately mistreats detainees by cutting…

June 11, 2020

United Arab Emirates : reported Covid-19 prison outbreaks

News

Coronavirus Middle East Health United Arab Emirates

(Beirut) – UAE prison authorities should take urgent measures to protect the mental and physical health of prisoners amid reported Covid-19 outbreaks in at least three detention facilities across the country, Human Rights Watch said today. Family members of prisoners in al-Wathba prison near Abu Dh…

June 10, 2020

Colombia: coronavirus hits prison population hard

News

Coronavirus South America Health Colombia

Critics say the government’s response to early warnings about the spread of COVID-19 in Colombian prisons was too little, too late.

June 4, 2020

Mexico: “salí de una cárcel para ir a otra”, testimonio de un preso liberado por la pandemia

News

Coronavirus Central America and the Caribbean Health Mexico

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

June 4, 2020

Latin America: como evitar brotes de coronavirus en las cárceles

News

Coronavirus Central America and the Caribbean South America Health

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

June 4, 2020

Latin America: la desesperación en las cárceles frente al Covid-19

News

Coronavirus Central America and the Caribbean South America Health

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

June 4, 2020

Chile: la pandemia en las cárceles, riesgo de contagio de la población penal es 6 veces más alto

News

Coronavirus South America Health Chile

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

June 3, 2020

Russia: le mystère de la faible propagation du coronavirus dans les prisons

News

Coronavirus Europe Health Russia

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

May 29, 2020

France: crise du Covid-19, une occasion historique pour les prisons

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Coronavirus Europe Health Overcrowding France

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

May 28, 2020

USA: how to hide a covid-19 hotspot? Pretend prisoners don’t exist

News

Coronavirus North America Health United States

A county trying to reopen its economy wrestles with a virus outbreak in prison.

May 28, 2020

USA: when parole doesn’t mean release, the senseless “program requirements” keeping people behind bars during a pandemic

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Coronavirus North America Justice Health United States

Parole boards are granting parole contingent on participation in programs that are often not readily available for people behind bars, especially during the pandemic.

May 28, 2020

France: la reprise des parloirs, très encadrée, laisse détenus et familles "frustrés"

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Coronavirus Europe Health Social ties France

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

May 28, 2020

France: ce que le confinement nous a fait vivre doit nous interroger sur la prison

News

Coronavirus Europe Justice Health France

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

May 27, 2020

USA: cleaning supplies are so scarce at this arizona prison, detainees are using shampoo and menstrual pads, lawsuit says

News

Coronavirus North America Health Material conditions United States

The plaintiffs want an independent expert to assess whether the facility has implemented social distancing measures, testing procedures, and hygiene practices adequate enough to reasonably protect detainees from contracting COVID-19 while in custody.

May 27, 2020

USA: COVID-19 takes a hidden toll behind bars

News

Coronavirus North America Health United States

COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in U.S. jails and prisons, but testing of inmates and staff remains spotty and many confirmed cases are going unreported. The resulting lack of data has deep implications for the fight against the virus, because prison outbreaks can move easily to surrounding communiti…

May 27, 2020

USA: 'people are sick all around me', inside the coronavirus catastrophe in California prisons

News

Coronavirus North America Health United States

Prisoners and advocates told the Guardian that some infected inmates are in isolation without medical care or adequate food, cut off from family and attorneys

May 27, 2020

Canada: décès d’un autre prisonnier, les proches des détenus lancent un appel à l’aide

News

Coronavirus North America Health Canada

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

May 20, 2020

USA: a nation of prisons and pandemics

Testimonial

Coronavirus North America Health Overcrowding United States

The United States Penitentiary Canaan holds about 1,300 people. Qwantay A. is one of them. He has been incarcerated for 16 years and will be released in 2034. He drew some parallels between the coronavirus pandemic and mass incarceration, and shared his thoughts with Prison Insider.

May 20, 2020

Spain: el coronavirus acaba con las muertes por sobredosis en las cárceles

News

Coronavirus Europe Health Drugs Spain

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

May 20, 2020

Paraguay: reo y su pareja, a cuarentena tras cada encuentro íntimo

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Coronavirus South America Health Social ties Paraguay

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