Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

October 12, 2021

India: death rate up, jails to get ‘suicide watchers’

News

Asia Suicide India

The Punjab Prisons is training a unique squad of “suicide watchers” as a study of suicides between 2017 and 2019 found that nearly 42 per cent of the victims died by suicide within a month of incarceration. Fifteen per cent could not last even 48 hours in jail.

September 10, 2021

India: rules laid down to prevent inmate suicide in jail

News

Asia Mental health Suicide India

Superintendents of jails have been asked to conduct an environmental audit in jail to find aout vulnerable places and articles that may help inmates commit suicide and take immediate preventive measures.

June 24, 2021

United States: addressing the structural inequalities underlying a failing prison health system

Analysis Opinion

North America Mental health Drugs Material conditions Suicide United States

ICPR and Prison Insider asked several experts worldwide to share their insights in the framework of the project ‘Understanding and reducing the use of imprisonment in 10 countries’. Homer Venters is a physician and epidemiologist working at the intersection of incarceration, health and human rights…

June 9, 2021

France : en prison, on se suicide dans l’indifférence

News

Europe Mental health Suicide Violence France

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

May 27, 2021

España: los suicidios en las cárceles aumentan con la pandemia

News

Europe Mental health Suicide Spain

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

May 4, 2021

Kazakhstan: two inmates in Kazakh prison swallow spoons to protest conditions

News

Asia Material conditions Suicide Violence Kazakhstan

Two inmates in a prison in Kazakhstan’s western region of Manghystau have swallowed spoons to protest against prison conditions, prompting an inspection of the facility by representatives of the Public Monitoring Commission and the National Preventive Mechanism – groups created to prevent torture a…

February 1, 2021

Canada : bannir les courtes peines de prison pour éviter des suicides

News

North America Pre-trial detention Justice Mental health Suicide Alternatives Canada

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

February 1, 2021

Suisse : l'aide au suicide pour les prisonniers envisagée

News

Europe Access to legal rights Justice Mental health Suicide Switzerland

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

January 7, 2021

France : les suicides à la prison marseillaise des Baumettes ne sont pas une fatalité

News

Europe Justice Health Mental health Suicide Violence France

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

December 7, 2020

United States: mental health crisis in California’s lock-ups worsens with Covid-19

News

Coronavirus North America Mental health Suicide United States

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has been challenged regarding care for its mentally ill prisoners for decades.

November 23, 2020

España: el protocolo antisuicidios en las cárceles

News

Europe Mental health Suicide Spain

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

September 17, 2020

France : suicides en prison

News

Europe Mental health Suicide Social ties Religion France

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

June 4, 2020

USA: solitary confinement is fueling New York's prison suicide crisis

News

North America Mental health Suicide United States

On average, someone attempts suicide in one of New York State’s prisons every other day. And 43 percent of those suicide attempts occur in the state’s notorious solitary confinement units — the Special Housing Unit, or SHUs. Solitary confinement is also linked to higher rates of death by suicide, a…

April 9, 2020

France: en 2019, ils sont morts en prison

News

Coronavirus Europe Health Mental health Suicide France

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

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.

November 13, 2019

UK: security firm to monitor prisoner vulnerability at Kilmarnock Prison in bid to prevent suicide and self harm

News

Europe Mental health Suicide United Kingdom

Changes in behaviour are highlighted to prison officers – allowing them to intervene before a prisoner self-harms or attempts suicide.

October 13, 2019

France: face aux suicides en prison, les détenus s’entraident pour libérer la parole

News

Europe Suicide France

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

September 4, 2019

France: à Fleury-Mérogis, huit détenus formés pour empêcher les suicides en prison

News

Europe Suicide France

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

September 3, 2019

UK: Big rise in assault and self-harm incidents at Highpoint Prison prompts call for the number of people in prison to be reduced

News

Suicide United Kingdom

Incidents of assault and self harm at Highpoint prison have risen in recent years, amid warnings that England and Wales’ prisons have been asked “to do too much with too little for too long”.

August 23, 2019

USA: the U.S. isn't counting prison suicides even though the law requires it

News

Suicide United States

Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide shined a light on a problem in the prison system: No one is keeping track of suicide deaths on a national basis.

June 17, 2019

Australia: Aboriginal man dies in custody days after jail was told he was suicidal

News

Oceania Suicide Australia

An Aboriginal man has died in a Western Australian prison just days after his mother reportedly called the jail to warn that he was suicidal.

May 14, 2019

United States: who's legally responsible for prison and jail suicides?

News

North America Suicide United States

Lawsuits used to be a path to prison reform, but they’re now an uphill battle for prisoners and their families.

May 10, 2019

United Kingdom: record number of self-harm cases at Ranby Prison

News

Europe Suicide United Kingdom

The number of inmates in Ranby Prison who self-harm reached a record high in 2018, new figures show.

April 2, 2019

Las cárceles francesas registran el nivel más alto de suicidios en Europa

News

Europe Suicide France

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