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May 12, 2023

Moldova: expands harm reduction services to all prisons

News

Europe Health Moldova

Alexander Godin moves through a number of locked doors escorted by a guard to prison 16’s pharmacy. This is part of his daily routine. He comes to get his medicine – a syrup-like dose of methadone. Since 2000, a few prisons in Moldova offered such harm reduction services. Now all do. Any new prison…

May 2, 2023

Building bridges through education

Interview

South America Europe Activities Alternatives Rehabilitation

Many initiatives are emerging as alternatives to the traditional prison, focusing on education rather than security. What is meant by education? How does it lead to change? Sergio Grossi answers our questions.

May 2, 2023

Changing the scale

Thematic paper

South America Europe Facilities Social ties Alternatives Rehabilitation

New insights are arising concerning alternative forms of detention that are integrated into the community, small-scale and focused on the needs of individuals. This series explores experience from the field, ideas that remain on paper and the potential limits of “small-scale” detention.

April 27, 2023

Ireland: new approach to rehabilitating inmates at Cork Prison

News

Europe Material conditions Ireland

“The prison service has changed hugely in the last 10 years or so, and the case of locking prisoners up and throwing away the key is gone,” Ger Manley, governor of Cork Prison, told The Echo in an interview at the prison. “Nowadays we’re looking at rehabilitating prisoners through our workshops, th…

April 27, 2023

Ireland: Irish Prison Service confirms overcrowding issues

News

Europe Justice Material conditions Overcrowding Ireland

The Irish Prison Service has confirmed that prisons have reached capacity and are now overcrowded, following a temporary dip during the Covid-19 pandemic

April 21, 2023

“Nine Circles of Hell”

Report

Europe Facilities Torture Ukraine

DIGNITY and a consortium of organisations report countless violations of human rights and international law committed between March and December 2022 in Ukrainian prisons under Russian occupation. Read their main findings.

April 20, 2023

Belgium: "a key voice"

Interview

Europe Justice Health Material conditions Overcrowding Belgium

Marc Nève is a lawyer and President of the Central Prison Monitoring Council in Belgium. He sat down with us to discuss the work of the Council, as well as the main issues facing the Belgian prison system today. Interview.

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.

March 16, 2023

Hungary: There have never been so many behind bars

News

Europe Overcrowding Hungary

The government explains this by the high number of traffickers caught, but does not talk about the failure of the prison expansion programme or the under-use of alternative sentences.

March 16, 2023

Ireland: Prisoners to be given access to fertility treatment

News

Europe Health Ireland

Prisoners are set to be given access to fertility treatment while behind bars.

March 16, 2023

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Commuting a prison sentence into a fine is possible in Republika Srpska

News

Europe Justice Bosnia & Herzegovina

A sentence of imprisonment that does not exceed one year of imprisonment will be replaced by a fine at the request of the convicted person

March 13, 2023

Germany: neither incarcerated nor free

Interview

Europe Health Mental health Germany

The German prison population has been decreasing since 2004, but not the number of people deprived of their liberty: nearly 13,000 of them are detained in forensic psychiatric hospitals. How can this be explained?

March 9, 2023

Problems of substance

Analysis Thematic paper

North America Europe Health Mental health Drugs Material conditions

Many people are living with addiction in prison. They face great difficulties. Drugs are an integral part of the overcrowded and unsanitary prison systems, which increases the risks inherent in drug use. How is drug addiction experienced behind bars?

March 9, 2023

Belgium: a tough journey

Interview

Europe Health Mental health Drugs Belgium

Prisons often act as a conduit for worsening drug use, yet prisoners are confronted with numerous barriers when trying to access help.Ambulatoire Forest discussed its psychosocial support programme specifically designed for offenders struggling with substance use.

March 9, 2023

Switzerland: detect, treat and support

Interview

Europe Health Mental health Drugs Switzerland

The risk of transmitting and contracting sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections is particularly high in prisons. However, there are solutions to prevent their spread and to support those affected. Interview.

March 9, 2023

France: beyond the stigma

Interview

Europe Discipline Health Mental health Drugs France

They are banned, but present nonetheless; denying the presence of illicit substances inside prison walls is dangerous from a medical and health point of view. Doctors of the World explained its approach.

March 9, 2023

France: drugs in prison, an open secret

Interview

Europe Discipline Health Mental health Drugs France

A way for prisoners to cope with their sentence and a way for the administration to contain the prison population: is the circulation of drugs in everyone’s interest? Solenn Lebret-Dallaserra answered our questions.

March 7, 2023

France: "It's a topsy-turvy world"

Testimonial

Europe Material conditions Activities Work France

In January 2023, Raphaël M. was placed in a halfway house in Alsace. Five years earlier, he had been in the Strasbourg prison. He shares what he went through and his current experience. A two-part story.

February 24, 2023

Ukraine: 107 Mothers

Interview

Women Europe Social ties Ukraine

Between 2016 and 2020, filmmaker Peter Kerekes visited Odessa Prison close to 120 times to shoot the film 107 Mothers. Odessa was one of a handful of Ukrainian prisons that allow mothers to serve their sentence with their children. Interview.

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.

February 3, 2023

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.

January 25, 2023

Belgium: seen in the press / 2023

News

Women Europe LGBTQI Long-term prisoners Justice Health Mental health Material conditions Work Belgium

Violence, acts of protest, prison conditions, justice reforms: find out what is new about prisons and justice in this country. Prison Insider monitors the press on a regular basis. Change the language setting to French or Spanish to read other articles.

January 24, 2023

United Kingdom: seen in the press / 2023

News

Women Europe Justice Health Mental health Material conditions Overcrowding United Kingdom

Violence, acts of protest, prison conditions, justice reforms: find out what is new about prisons and justice in this country. Prison Insider monitors the press on a regular basis.