Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

April 3, 2023

North Korea: torture, forced abortions and insects for food inside North Korean jails

News

Asia Material conditions Torture Violence North Korea

Extrajudicial executions, rape, forced abortions, jail without trial, torture, starvation rations that leave prisoners so hungry some turn to eating insects.

March 29, 2023

Filming the obscurity

Interview

Africa Asia Europe Facilities Overcrowding Violence Rehabilitation

The Netflix documentary series “Inside the World’s Toughest Prisons” gives viewers a visual representation of what daily life is like for prisoners around the world. Prison Insider met its host, Raphael Rowe. Interview.

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 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

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.

January 24, 2023

USA: the Holmesburg prison experiments

Interview

North America Health Violence United States

Allen M. Hornblum, author of “Acres of Skin”, tells us about the Holmesburg Prison Experiments (1951-1974). What makes prisoners particularly vulnerable to these forms of abuse? What impact have they had on prison practices today? Interview.

January 17, 2023

Chad: protesters' hellish ordeal in remote desert prison

News

Africa Material conditions Violence Chad

Dehydrated as their crowded truck snaked through the dunes, some drank urine to survive, while those who died were tossed into the Chadian desert.

January 11, 2023

Belarus: Former detainee speaks of torture

News

Europe Violence Belarus

In Belarus, daily detentions, torture, and beatings on political grounds have been going on for over two years.

January 2, 2023

Pre-trial detention Women Europe Minors Foreign prisoners LGBTQI Long-term prisoners Access to legal rights Discipline Justice Health Mental health Material conditions Suicide Overcrowding Torture Violence Activities Social ties Work Belgium

All there is to know about Congolese prisons in 2023. Key figures, life in detention, references: discover all the data gathered by Prison Insider.

December 30, 2022

France : prisons in 2022

Analysis

Pre-trial detention Women Europe Minors Foreign prisoners LGBTQI Long-term prisoners Access to legal rights Discipline Justice Health Mental health Material conditions Suicide Overcrowding Torture Violence Activities Social ties Work France

All there is to know about French prisons in 2022. Key figures, life in detention, references: discover all the data gathered by Prison Insider.

December 8, 2022

Russia: Brittney Griner facing ‘terrible’ life at remote penal colony

News

Asia Violence Russia

The inmates at IK-2 penal colony rise at 6 a.m. each day for a breakfast of milk porridge, bread and tea. Soon they leave their barracks at this aging facility about 300 miles southeast of Moscow, in the isolated republic of Mordovia.

December 2, 2022

Egipto: continúan las muertes de detenidos en la prisión de Badr

News

Middle East Violence Egypt

El número de muertes de presos políticos en el Complejo Penitenciario de Badr, en El Cairo, se ha elevado a cuatro, apenas unos meses después de la apertura del enorme complejo. Esto se debe a la muerte del detenido Hassan Diab Hassan dentro de su celda en la prisión Badr 3 debido a una negligencia…

November 28, 2022

Italia: 45 probed for 'torturing' Ivrea prison inmates

News

Europe Torture Violence Italy

Guards, doctors,functionaries and ex-wardens are under investigation

November 28, 2022

Russia: a prison hospital became a torture dungeon

News

Asia Health Violence Russia

“Strapped down, had genitals shoved in their faces”. How a prison hospital in Krasnoyarsk became a torture dungeon

November 18, 2022

Russie : Des prisonniers russes envoyés par dizaines de milliers sur le front ukrainien

News

Asia Violence Russia

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

November 8, 2022

Venezuela : quand les caïds font des prisons de luxueuses dictatures du crime

News

Central America and the Caribbean Material conditions Violence Venezuela

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

October 28, 2022

Iran: prisoners deprived of all rights

Opinion

Torture Violence Iran

The recent events in Iran are leading to a considerable increase in the number of arrests and people detained. What are the rights of Iranian prisoners? Prison Insider is looking for information on the conditions of detention in Iranian prisons. Ehsan Hosseinzadeh, an Iranian lawyer and political r…

October 19, 2022

Iran: Evin prison death toll jump, state says

News

Middle East Material conditions Violence Iran

The death toll from a fire at Iran’s notorious Evin prison has risen from four to eight, Iran’s judiciary has said in a statement.

October 17, 2022

Iran : quatre morts dans des affrontements et un incendie au cœur de la prison d’Evin

News

Middle East Material conditions Violence Iran

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

October 17, 2022

Iran: four dead in Evin prison fire as relatives gather outside

News

Middle East Violence Iran

Family members and protesters demand answers over blaze that state media reports left 61 injured

October 14, 2022

Russia: las autoridades penitenciarias imponen duras condiciones a Alexei Navalny

News

Europe Material conditions Torture Violence Russia

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

October 14, 2022

Ecuador: seis presos heridos deja un motín en cárcel

News

Central America and the Caribbean Violence Ecuador

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

October 14, 2022

Ireland: prison officers 'urged inmates to attack colleagues'

News

Europe Violence Ireland

A Garda file has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on allegations that officers in Portlaoise Prison incited some of the most dangerous prisoners in the country to attack other officers.

October 14, 2022

Iran : fears that Iran may execute LGBTQ+ activists in secret

News

Middle East LGBTQI Violence Iran

Amid nationwide mass protests across Iran, human rights activists have raised concerns that the country’s judiciary system may secretly execute two female LGBTQ+ activists, who have been on death row since early September.