Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

October 29, 2021

Stéphane: “I learned to live alone.”

Testimonial

Coronavirus Health Facilities France

Stéphane was imprisoned for 9 years. Is the lockdown a second imprisonment? Prison Insider has brought out six narratives of former prisoners. Six perspectives on the lockdown and imprisonment.

October 29, 2021

Éric: “It was nothing like imprisonment.”

Testimonial

Coronavirus Health Facilities France

Éric was imprisoned for 19 years. Is the lockdown a second imprisonment? Prison Insider has brought out six narratives of former prisoners. Six perspectives on the lockdown and imprisonment.

October 28, 2021

España: Finalizan las obras de rehabilitación de la Cárcel Vieja de Murcia

News

Europe Facilities Spain

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

October 13, 2021

Lithuania: converting prison into migrant reception centre

News

Europe Facilities Lithuania

With only a few weeks’ notice, the Lithuanian border guard service has turned a large prison in the southwest of the country into the country’s biggest migrant centre.

September 15, 2021

Colombia: cárcel de Bouwer, adjudicaron obra de ampliación en $ 563 millones

News

South America Facilities Colombia

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

September 10, 2021

Indonésie : l’enfer du feu dans une prison

News

Asia Drugs Material conditions Facilities Indonesia

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

July 27, 2021

República Dominicana: prisiones afirma recintos están abiertos para supervisión de legisladores

News

Central America and the Caribbean Material conditions Facilities Dominican Republic

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

July 1, 2021

España: la Comunitat tendrá el mayor psiquiátrico penitenciario de España, con 500 internos

News

Europe Mental health Material conditions Facilities Spain

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

June 22, 2021

Africa: informal governance and healthcare access in prison

Analysis Opinion

Africa Discipline Health Mental health Material conditions Facilities Overcrowding

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’. Carole Berrih, a lawyer specialising in public law, focuses on the role of prisoners in the maintenance of order in N…

May 11, 2021

Niger: the cost of living

Testimonial

Africa Pre-trial detention Health Material conditions Facilities Overcrowding Violence Niger

Two prisoners attest to their conditions in overpopulated prisons. A way to survive: pay, every month, for access to better prison conditions.

April 29, 2021

Malta: the Corradino correctional facility is “diabolical” and the prison system should be completely revised

News

Europe Material conditions Facilities Overcrowding Rehabilitation Malta

Dean of the Faculty of social wellbeing Andrew Azzopardi said that it is “bursting at the seams”. “A few years ago, we were speaking about 200 to 300 people spending time in jail. It is now full up“

March 30, 2021

Venezuela: tragedia de Policarabobo, tres años de retardo procesal, frustración, dolor y sed de justicia

News

South America Access to legal rights Material conditions Facilities Protest Venezuela

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

March 29, 2021

Belgium: what is Haren ?

Interview

Europe Facilities Overcrowding Belgium

One billion euros have been invested in the construction of Haren, a massive prison complex located on the outskirts of Brussels.

March 1, 2021

South Africa: investigating prison for profit

News

Africa Material conditions Facilities Torture Violence South Africa

Violence has deep roots in South Africa, going back to colonial conquest and the apartheid state. Which is why those who end up in prison receive very little sympathy, and even less coverage in the national press.

March 1, 2021

Syria: the greater jail, the politics of prison

News

Culture Middle East Facilities Syria

In a talk co-organized by the assassinated activist Lokman Slim, former Syrian political prisoner Yassin al-Haj Saleh argues that “the politics of prison” are central to understanding the “politicide” of the Syrian people at the Assad regime’s hands.

March 1, 2021

Argentina: en cumplimiento de un fallo de la CorteIDH, el SPF aprueba un nuevo protocolo de traslados de personas privadas de libertad

News

South America Access to legal rights Justice Facilities Social ties Argentina

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

February 24, 2021

North Korea: orders expansion of political prison camp system

News

Asia Discipline Facilities North Korea

North Korea recently enacted an “anti-reactionary thought law” and is punishing violators with heavy sentences such as hard labor and the death penalty.

February 3, 2021

Mexico: AMLO busca cancelar contratos de cárceles privadas

News

Central America and the Caribbean Facilities Mexico

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

February 2, 2021

Nepal: prison infrastructure construction gains pace

News

Asia Facilities Nepal

The construction of buildings for the Central Jail in Nuwakot is picking pace, says the Ministry of Home Affairs. According to the MoHA annual report of fiscal 2019- 20, approximately 65 per cent work on construction of prison infrastructure has been completed. It informed that the construction wor…

February 2, 2021

Mexico: the president could cancel private prison contracts

News

Central America and the Caribbean Facilities Mexico

Mexico’s president will seek better terms for the government in private prison contracts signed by his predecessors, he said on Wednesday, adding that he could cancel them if better deals cannot be reached.

January 26, 2021

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?

October 30, 2020

United Kingdom: speed up video calls rollout in prison to ease families’ lockdown anguish

News

Coronavirus Europe Material conditions Facilities Social ties United Kingdom

The rollout of secure video calls in prisons should be speeded up to ease the distress of families and their loved ones unable to see each other since the cancellation of social visits, a new briefing by the Prison Reform Trust (PRT) suggests. Based on 278 contributions from families and prisoners…

September 29, 2020

United States: California announces first closure of state prison since 2003

News

North America Facilities United States

A California assemblymember said nearly $200 million in operating costs will be saved after the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (CDCR) announcement on Friday of the closure of a state prison in Tracy. The Deuel Vocational Institution in Tracy was chosen for closure based o…

September 24, 2020

United Kingdom and United States: capital and the carceral state

News

North America Europe Material conditions Facilities Alternatives

Prison privatization