Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

March 18, 2020

Africa: coronavirus, prison fever

News

Africa Coronavirus Health Material conditions Protest

The Covid-19 does not stop at prison gates. Prisoners often live in overcrowded cells and unsanitary contexts, sharing cells. What measures are taken to guarantee the safety of all prisoners and prison staff? What are the consequences of the pandemic on the living conditions in prisons? — Update 09…

March 18, 2020

Americas: coronavirus, prison fever

News

Coronavirus North America Central America and the Caribbean South America Health Material conditions Protest

The Covid-19 does not stop at prison gates. Prisoners often live in overcrowded cells and unsanitary contexts, sharing cells. What measures are taken to guarantee the safety of all prisoners and prison staff? What are the consequences of the pandemic on the living conditions in prisons? — Update 31…

March 18, 2020

Middle East: coronavirus, prison fever

News

Coronavirus Middle East Health Material conditions Protest

The Covid-19 does not stop at prison gates. Prisoners often live in overcrowded cells and unsanitary contexts, sharing cells. What measures are taken to guarantee the safety of all prisoners and prison staff? What are the consequences of the pandemic on the living conditions in prisons? — Update 31…

March 18, 2020

Oceania: coronavirus, prison fever

News

Coronavirus Oceania Health Material conditions Protest

The Covid-19 does not stop at prison gates. Prisoners often live in overcrowded cells and unsanitary contexts, sharing cells. What measures are taken to guarantee the safety of all prisoners and prison staff? What are the consequences of the pandemic on the living conditions in prisons? — Update 11…

March 17, 2020

Italy : Antigone calls for solution

Report

Coronavirus Europe Health Italy

The last weeks have been devastating for prisoners in Italy. The overcrowded Italian prison system found itself unprepared for the sanitary situation caused by the Coronavirus outbreak. Antigone is an Italian human rights NGO focusing on the penal and penitentiary systems. They monitored the situat…

March 12, 2020

Women in prison: a "tough place"

Interview

Women Europe Health Mental health

Women and girls make up 7% of the global prison population, in various proportions. While they represent 3% in African countries, it goes up to 8 % in the Americas, and 6 % in Europe. The highest proportions are found in Hong Kong-China (21%), Laos (18%) or Qatar (15%).

March 11, 2020

Argentina: profundizan las tareas de prevención del dengue en las cárceles bonaerenses

News

South America Health Argentina

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

March 11, 2020

Spain: primer caso confirmado de COV-19 en un centro penitenciario

News

Coronavirus Europe Health Spain

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

March 11, 2020

Italy: revuelta en las cárceles italianas

News

Coronavirus Europe Health Protest Violence Italy

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

March 11, 2020

Italy: seven dead in Modena prison riot, 20 break out of Foggia

News

Coronavirus Europe Health Protest Violence Italy

(ANSA) - Rome, March 9 - Seven people died as violent protests broke out Monday in 22 Italian prisons against coronavirus restrictions with many inmates asking for an amnesty due to the virus emergency.

March 11, 2020

Jamaica: the agony of serving time in prison while pregnant

News

Central America and the Caribbean Women Health Jamaica

In Jamaica, women incarcerated while pregnant face the painful reality of being separated from their newborn up to six months after giving birth — a reality which often leads to anxiety and depression for the rest of their stay in prison.

March 11, 2020

France: coronavirus : les prisons inquiètes face à l'épidémie

News

Coronavirus Europe Health France

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

March 11, 2020

USA: 152 Parchman inmates sue Mississippi officials over "barbaric" prison conditions and "deprivation" of health care

News

North America Health Material conditions Violence United States

Lawyers representing inmates inside the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman filed a second lawsuit in federal court early Wednesday on behalf of 152 inmates who they say have been denied adequate medical and mental health care, fed contaminated food and retaliated against for speaking with t…

March 5, 2020

USA: el confinamiento en solitario prolongado en las cárceles equivale a tortura psicológica

News

North America Discipline Health Mental health Torture United States

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

February 27, 2020

China: prison virus loopholes sound alarm to society

News

Coronavirus Asia Health China

On Friday, a prison in Rencheng, Shandong Province, reported 200 new cases of novel coronavirus infection. Another 27 were reported in Shilifeng prison in Zhejiang Province. These new cases added to a sudden uptick in the nation’s overall number of infected cases, which shouldn’t have happened at a…

February 27, 2020

USA: deaths in state prisons are on the rise, new data shows. What can be done?

News

North America Health United States

A new Bureau of Justice Statistics report released yesterday shows that from 2015 to 2016, the number of deaths in U.S. state prisons increased from 296 to 303 per 100,000 people. What accounts for these deaths?

February 27, 2020

UK: psychoactive drugs linked to 95% of jail's ambulance callouts

News

Europe Health Drugs United Kingdom

Paramedics were called 200 times in six months to a prison in West Yorkshire to deal with medical incidents linked to drugs like spice, an inspection has revealed.

February 27, 2020

USA: new BJS report reveals staggering number of preventable deaths in local jails

News

North America Health Suicide United States

A new Bureau of Justice Statistics report reveals that over 1,000 people died in local jails in 2016, underscoring the dangers of jail incarceration. Most troublingly, the report finds at least half of these deaths are preventable, with suicide remaining the leading cause of death.

February 26, 2020

Mexico: el 80 por ciento de cárceles yucatecas carece de médicos

News

Central America and the Caribbean Health Mexico

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

February 25, 2020

France: la justice ordonne des travaux d’urgence à Nouméa, où la "situation est alarmante"

News

Europe Justice Health Overcrowding France

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

February 12, 2020

Changing the prison system: the role of information

Interview

Africa Minors Health Overcrowding

It can be difficult to collect data on prisons. Few people have direct access to it. Carole Berrih explains the necessity of access to quality information.

February 12, 2020

Syria: dans une prison avec les jihadistes

News

Middle East Foreign prisoners Health Overcrowding

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

February 10, 2020

France: femmes détenues et inégalités dans la population carcérale

News

North America Women Europe Minors Health France

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

February 5, 2020

India: prison system needs urgent reform

News

Women Asia Foreign prisoners Health Overcrowding India

The 2018 statistics on prison must spur the criminal justice system to assess, evaluate and take affirmative steps.