Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

September 24, 2020

Chile: ordenan mejoras en la cárcel de Valdivia

News

South America Health Material conditions Overcrowding Chile

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

September 23, 2020

France: la galère des familles de détenus après la suppression d’un arrêt de bus desservant la prison de Fleury-Mérogis

News

Women Europe Foreign prisoners Material conditions Social ties France

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

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 23, 2020

Lebanon: the largest prison grapples with alarming covid-19 outbreak

News

Coronavirus Middle East Health Material conditions Overcrowding Lebanon

Lebanon’s largest prison on Thursday was grappling with an alarming coronavirus outbreak, as many inmates refused to take preventative measures or get tested under the impression that catching the virus could speed up their release as part of a rumored general amnesty, the head of the country’s doc…

September 22, 2020

Liban: plus de 200 cas de covid-19 dans la principale prison du pays

News

Coronavirus Middle East Health Material conditions Overcrowding Lebanon

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

September 18, 2020

Kenya: the dehumanisation and exploitation of inmates in state prisons

News

Africa Health Material conditions Torture Violence Work Kenya

Kenyan prisons today carry the DNA of their forebears – the colonial prisons and Mau Mau detention camps. They are about brutalising prisoners into submission and scaring the rest of society into compliance with the state. And like their colonial predecessors, they are also sites of forced labour.

September 18, 2020

Iran: situation of women

News

Women Middle East Health Material conditions Iran

Torture, crackdown with water and electricity cuts in scorching heat along with coronavirus outbreak

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 15, 2020

México: las otras pandemias en las cárceles

News

Coronavirus Central America and the Caribbean Health Mental health Material conditions Overcrowding Mexico

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

September 9, 2020

Africa: the impossible confinement

Interview

Africa Coronavirus Crises Health Material conditions

In Africa, the COVID-19 epidemic is evolving differently compared to Europe or America. Is the lockdown a solution to the spread of the epidemic?

July 30, 2020

France: punaises de lit, moisissures, surpopulation, le calvaire à la prison de Perpignan

News

Coronavirus Europe Health Material conditions France

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

July 30, 2020

European Prison Rules: “progressing the conversation”

Interview

Europe Discipline Justice Material conditions Torture

All prison conditions across Europe are not equivalent. However, the European Prison Rules formulate guidelines to ensure the protection of prisoners’ rights. Are these rules respected? What does their recent revision imply?

July 27, 2020

USA: Inmates talk of COVID fear and helplessness after transfers bring ‘the beast’ to San Quentin

News

Coronavirus North America Health Material conditions United States

Sixty-six inmates from the coronavirus-ridden California Institution for Men were on buses in late May, headed from Chino to the prison at Corcoran where Frank Estrada was incarcerated.

July 24, 2020

Mexico: La fallida construcción de la infraestructura penitenciaria como negocio

News

Central America and the Caribbean Material conditions Overcrowding Mexico

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

July 23, 2020

POINT de vues

Insights Portfolio

Women Europe Material conditions Facilities France

Delphine Dauphy and Marc Loyon ran photography workshops in prisons for six months. This involved visiting both Vezin-le-Coquet prison and Rennes women’s prison seven times. Every prisoner was able to take part in creating a body of images documenting their daily life.

July 22, 2020

DRC: les prisons considérées comme des mouroirs

News

Africa Health Material conditions Torture Congo - Kinshasa

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

July 16, 2020

Uruguay: Operadores penitenciarios denuncian condiciones de trabajo en las cárceles

News

South America Material conditions Uruguay

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

July 15, 2020

USA: JAY-Z, Yo Gotti, and team ROC file lawsuit over Mississippi prison conditions

News

Coronavirus North America Justice Health Material conditions

The class action complaint details subpar hygiene protocols, lack of proper healthcare, and more at Mississippi State Penitentiary Parchman

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…

July 8, 2020

USA: No one should have to die in prison

News

North America Long-term prisoners Health Material conditions Overcrowding United States

The words “help we matter 2” are seen written in a window at the Cook County Department of Corrections, housing one of the nation’s largest jails, in Chicago, Illinois, on April 9, 2020.

July 2, 2020

South Africa: Pietermaritzburg prisoners fear Covid-19

News

Africa Coronavirus Long-term prisoners Health Material conditions Overcrowding South Africa

Inmates serving lengthy sentences for serious and violent crimes say basic regulations to combat the spread of the coronavirus are being flouted, putting their lives at risk.

July 1, 2020

USA: Covid-19 cases at San Quentin prison surge to 1,000

News

Coronavirus North America Health Material conditions United States

The number of coronavirus cases in California’s San Quentin state prison has crossed a thousand, with more than 900 cases being diagnosed in the last two weeks alone.

June 24, 2020

Uruguay: controlaron revuelta en la cárcel de Punta de Rieles tras requisa masiva

News

South America Material conditions Protest Uruguay

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