Crises
Crises
Middle East
Health
Material conditions
Torture
Violence
Israel
Strapped down, blindfolded, held in diapers… At a military base that now doubles as a detention center in Israel’s Negev desert, an Israeli working at the facility snapped two photographs of a scene that he says continues to haunt him.
Crises
Middle East
Health
Material conditions
Iran
Detention, interrogation, and incarceration, even under the best and most standardized conditions, foster an environment conducive to contracting various diseases.
Africa
Crises
Asia
Europe
Middle East
Access to legal rights
Justice
Material conditions
Facilities
Torture
Alice Jill Edwards was the first woman to be appointed as UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Prison Insider met with her to find out more about what she has to say to justice systems and prison administrations around the world.
Lebanon: from bad to worse
Interview
Crises
Pre-trial detention
Women
Middle East
Foreign prisoners
Health
Mental health
Material conditions
Lebanon
Prisoners are suffering the consequences of the socio-economic crisis: access to medical care, food and water is no longer guaranteed. The proportion of people in remand detention far exceeds the global average and contributes to prison overcrowding. Interview.
Crises
Middle East
Discipline
Health
Mental health
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Torture
Violence
Israel
The increase in detained Palestinians in Israeli prisons since 7th October has reportedly resulted in overcrowding, deprivation of medical treatment, and restriction of drinking water and food. NGO and media reports also document violent and degrading arrests.
USA: disaster in prison
Interview
Crises
North America
Facilities
Work
United States
J. Carlee Purdum is the director of the Prisons and Disasters Risk Network, which aims to inform the public about the growing impact of disasters on prisoners. She discusses with us how prison labour is embedded in emergency disaster response. Interview.
Russia: prisoners of the battlefield
Interview
France: "a change of tactics"
Interview
Crises
Europe
Justice
Material conditions
Facilities
Overcrowding
Alternatives
France
In 2020, the French government was found to have violated the European Convention on Human Rights, due to demeaning detention conditions in French prisons. What is the state of affairs today? The National Human Rights Advisory Commission speaks on the issue.
Pakistan: submerged and forgotten
Interview
Crises
Asia
Access to legal rights
Health
Material conditions
Pakistan
Pakistan experienced torrential rains between June and September 2022. The floods submerged a third of the country. What about prisons? Zainab Mahboob and Fakhra Irshad from Justice Project Pakistan shared with us what they know about the current situation. Interview.
Ukraine: news from the front lines
Interview
Crises
Europe
Material conditions
Torture
Violence
Ukraine
Half a year has passed since the beginning of the war. How has the situation evolved in prison? Vadym Chovgan (Danish Institute against Torture) accepted to update us on the recent developments. Interview.
Ukraine: “prisons are left on their own”
Interview
Crises
Europe
Material conditions
Facilities
Violence
Social ties
Ukraine
Information about prison is not easily accessible, even less during the war. Prison Insider is seeking to update its information about Ukrainian prisons.
Global prison crisis
Interview
Africa
Coronavirus
Crises
Asia
Europe
Middle East
Oceania
Overcrowding
The world prison population is still increasing. How does the COVID-19 crisis differ from other ongoing or future crises? Are prison environments doomed to be in perpetual crisis?
Africa
Crises
Pre-trial detention
Asia
Elderly prisoners
Europe
Access to legal rights
Health
Mental health
Drugs
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Social ties
An international research and policy project carried out by the Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR) at Birkbeck, University of London
Managing uncertainty in prison: diverse responses to COVID-19
Analysis
Thematic paper
Africa
Coronavirus
Crises
Central America and the Caribbean
South America
Asia
Europe
Material conditions
Social ties
As the COVID-19 outbreaks around the world suprised most governments, how did the authorities respond to the crisis behind the bars? Were prison authorities prepared to avoid the spread of the virus? Which measures were taken and how did them impact prisoners’ lives?
France: indiscriminate surveillance
Interview
Crises
Pre-trial detention
Europe
Facilities
France
There are 1,500 individuals who are identified as “radicalised” prisoners. How are they evaluated? By whom? What is their pre-trial detention like?
South Africa: sounding the alarm
Interview
Africa
Coronavirus
Crises
Justice
Health
Material conditions
Social ties
South Africa
”The numbers kept going up, and up, and up and up…”. More than 2,700 South African prisoners are infected with the coronavirus. We have asked three questions to the NGO Sonke Gender Justice.
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?
Italian prisons: facing the crisis
Interview
Coronavirus
Crises
Europe
Justice
Health
Violence
Italy
Mutinies after the suspension of family visits had a heavy toll on prisoners: 12 prisoners died in March. Prison Insider interviewed Antigone association about the management of the crisis by the authorities.