Explore

Types

Topic

Geographic area

Country

Archives

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

November 2013

2012

October 2012
August 2012

2011

May 2011

2008

January 2008

Apply filters Reset

March 16, 2023

Ireland: Prisoners to be given access to fertility treatment

News

Europe Health Ireland

Prisoners are set to be given access to fertility treatment while behind bars.

March 16, 2023

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Commuting a prison sentence into a fine is possible in Republika Srpska

News

Europe Justice Bosnia & Herzegovina

A sentence of imprisonment that does not exceed one year of imprisonment will be replaced by a fine at the request of the convicted person

March 16, 2023

Australia: Queensland judge to receive apology after department refused to detail confinement of boy

News

Minors Oceania Justice Australia

The boy’s case follows several others where the Queensland children’s court has raised concerns about inappropriate conditions in overcrowded and understaffed youth detention centres.

March 16, 2023

Australia: prison is no place for those trapped by mental illness

News

Oceania Mental health Australia

Prison is no place for intellectually impaired individuals, nor for those with chronically acute disordered thinking and ailments such as schizophrenia and psychoses.

March 13, 2023

Germany: neither incarcerated nor free

Interview

Europe Health Mental health Germany

The German prison population has been decreasing since 2004, but not the number of people deprived of their liberty: nearly 13,000 of them are detained in forensic psychiatric hospitals. How can this be explained?

March 9, 2023

Problems of substance

Analysis Thematic paper

North America Europe Health Mental health Drugs Material conditions

Many people are living with addiction in prison. They face great difficulties. Drugs are an integral part of the overcrowded and unsanitary prison systems, which increases the risks inherent in drug use. How is drug addiction experienced behind bars?

March 9, 2023

Belgium: a tough journey

Interview

Europe Health Mental health Drugs Belgium

Prisons often act as a conduit for worsening drug use, yet prisoners are confronted with numerous barriers when trying to access help.Ambulatoire Forest discussed its psychosocial support programme specifically designed for offenders struggling with substance use.

March 9, 2023

Switzerland: detect, treat and support

Interview

Europe Health Mental health Drugs Switzerland

The risk of transmitting and contracting sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections is particularly high in prisons. However, there are solutions to prevent their spread and to support those affected. Interview.

March 9, 2023

France: beyond the stigma

Interview

Europe Discipline Health Mental health Drugs France

They are banned, but present nonetheless; denying the presence of illicit substances inside prison walls is dangerous from a medical and health point of view. Doctors of the World explained its approach.

March 9, 2023

France: drugs in prison, an open secret

Interview

Europe Discipline Health Mental health Drugs France

A way for prisoners to cope with their sentence and a way for the administration to contain the prison population: is the circulation of drugs in everyone’s interest? Solenn Lebret-Dallaserra answered our questions.

March 7, 2023

Madagascar: "everything is heavy and dark here"

Testimonial

Africa Discipline Material conditions Overcrowding Madagascar

Paul Rafanoharana Maillot writes to us from Tsiafahy prison, a facility notorious for its overcrowding and inhumane conditions. He has been incarcerated since 4 August 2021 and is being kept in solitary confinement. He tells us about the “prison within the prison”.

March 7, 2023

France: "It's a topsy-turvy world"

Testimonial

Europe Material conditions Activities Work France

In January 2023, Raphaël M. was placed in a halfway house in Alsace. Five years earlier, he had been in the Strasbourg prison. He shares what he went through and his current experience. A two-part story.

March 7, 2023

France: on camera

Interview

Central America and the Caribbean Activities Rehabilitation France

Basse-Terre prison in Guadeloupe provides prisoner rehabilitation programmes. Film director Mark Alexandre Montout visited the prison to film a cookery competition. Interview.

February 24, 2023

Ukraine: 107 Mothers

Interview

Women Europe Social ties Ukraine

Between 2016 and 2020, filmmaker Peter Kerekes visited Odessa Prison close to 120 times to shoot the film 107 Mothers. Odessa was one of a handful of Ukrainian prisons that allow mothers to serve their sentence with their children. Interview.

February 22, 2023

Nicaragua: The country frees hundreds of political prisoners to the United States

News

Central America and the Caribbean Justice Nicaragua

The authoritarian government of Daniel Ortega handed over 222 prisoners as a way to signal a desire to restart relations with the United States, according to officials.

February 22, 2023

India: Physiotherapy centre set up in Berhampur jail

News

Asia Material conditions India

A physiotherapist voluntarily provided some basic equipment to make the unit functional

February 22, 2023

India: Illiterate once, Ajmer jail inmates now write letters

News

Asia Material conditions India

Ensuring that illiterate prisoners return home as educated people is the motto of this social reform programme in jails

February 22, 2023

Egypt: The country's model prison rife with abuses

News

Africa Access to legal rights Torture Violence Egypt

The new prison of Badr which Egypt touted as a model for reform denies inmates healthcare

February 22, 2023

Turkey: Families call on ministry for conditional release of prisoners in provinces hit by earthquake

News

Middle East Justice Material conditions Turkey

In previous major earthquakes, prisoners were allowed to participate in rescue efforts and other work in the earthquake zone

February 15, 2023

Russia: prisoners of the battlefield

Interview

Crises Europe Violence Russia

The conflict in Ukraine also impacts the individuals incarcerated in Russia. Many of them have been recruited by the Wagner Group over the past few months to participate in the fighting. Dmitry Gurin from EPLN shared with us what they know about this recruitment campaign.

February 8, 2023

Syria: Members of ISIS escape ‘Black Prison’ after earthquake devastates area

News

Middle East Facilities Syria

Some twenty former members of ISIS have escaped a prison located in Rajo in northeastern Syria after powerful earthquakes devastated the region and neighbouring Turkey.

February 8, 2023

Poland: Prisoners beaten, suffocated and waterboarded

News

Europe Torture Violence Poland

Inmates at Barczewo prison have faced physical and mental torture, including beatings, suffocation and waterboarding, according to a new report.

February 8, 2023

Myanmar: Activists fight on in belly of the beast

News

Asia Protest Myanmar (Burma)

Political prisoners have continued to express dissent from inside, often with violent consequences, as tensions simmer with prison officials.

February 8, 2023

Japan: Death row inmates' lawyers call for discussion on executions

News

Asia Death penalty Japan

A group of lawyers representing three people on death row in Japan criticized the secrecy shrouding the country’s executions.