Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

July 27, 2020

Niger: Surpeuplées, les prisons sont des incubateurs pour les djihadistes

Africa Health Overcrowding Niger

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

July 27, 2020

Bolivia: OMCT expresa preocupación por situación sanitaria en cárceles del país y pide modificar decreto de amnistía

News

Coronavirus Health Overcrowding Bolivia

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

July 24, 2020

Mexico: La fallida construcción de la infraestructura penitenciaria como negocio

News

Central America and the Caribbean Material conditions Overcrowding Mexico

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

July 24, 2020

Mexico: Sobrepoblación en cárceles aviva contagios de covid, critica Cruz Roja

News

Coronavirus Central America and the Caribbean Health Facilities Overcrowding Mexico

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

July 24, 2020

Brazil : La pandemia de coronavirus sigue avanzando en las cárceles ante la desesperación de los familiares

News

Coronavirus South America Health Overcrowding Brazil

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

July 22, 2020

United States: Hundreds denied parole as Alabama’s COVID-19 crisis worsens

News

Coronavirus North America Justice Overcrowding Alternatives United States

White people in Alabama prisons were 2.6 times more likely to be paroled than Black people during the month of June, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

July 16, 2020

Argentina: cómo es el modelo de cárceles sin rejas que proponen aplicar en Santa Fe

News

South America Facilities Overcrowding Alternatives Rehabilitation Argentina

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

July 15, 2020

France: single-occupancy cells are possible

Interview

Coronavirus Europe Health Overcrowding France

The National Union of Prison Directors sent an open letter to the President of the Republic on 20 April 2020 stating that it is “no longer possible to claim that single-occupancy cells are unachievable”.

July 8, 2020

USA: No one should have to die in prison

News

North America Long-term prisoners Health Material conditions Overcrowding United States

The words “help we matter 2” are seen written in a window at the Cook County Department of Corrections, housing one of the nation’s largest jails, in Chicago, Illinois, on April 9, 2020.

July 2, 2020

South Africa: Pietermaritzburg prisoners fear Covid-19

News

Africa Coronavirus Long-term prisoners Health Material conditions Overcrowding South Africa

Inmates serving lengthy sentences for serious and violent crimes say basic regulations to combat the spread of the coronavirus are being flouted, putting their lives at risk.

July 1, 2020

France: Inequality of life during an epidemic

Analysis Opinion

Coronavirus Women Europe Minors Foreign prisoners Health Overcrowding France

Those imprisoned or detained are in forced confinement, states Didier Fassin. He has published a forum on the Liberation website. He questions whether the “sense of responsibility and solidarity” advocated by Emmanuel Macron stops at the doors of prisons and overcrowded detention centres.

June 24, 2020

Europe: post-coronavirus podría tener las cárceles más vacías

News

Coronavirus Europe Overcrowding

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

June 22, 2020

Europe: le confinement a réduit la surpopulation carcérale

News

Coronavirus Europe Overcrowding

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

June 18, 2020

Global Prison Trends 2020

Report

Africa Asia Europe Middle East Oceania Material conditions Overcrowding

Over 11 million people are held in prisons worldwide. Many face substandard detention conditions. Sentences keep getting longer, in underfunded justice systems. PRI has published its annual report on the state of prisons and the use of imprisonment: Global Prison Trends 2020.

June 11, 2020

Cambodia: reforms to tackle prison overcrowding ‘must go further and put human rights at the core of drug policy’

News

Asia Drugs Overcrowding Cambodia

At the beginning of the year, Cambodia’s largest prison facility exceeded 9,500 prisoners – which is 463% over its maximum capacity of 2,050 Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch want reforms to be deepened and made permanent, through the review and amendment of the Law on Drug Control ‘Camb…

June 11, 2020

France: Adeline Hazan, "en prison, les droits fondamentaux sont presque considérés comme un luxe"

News

Europe Overcrowding France

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

June 3, 2020

France: surpopulation, personnel débordé, locaux "immondes", le triste bilan des prisons françaises en 2019

News

Europe Material conditions Overcrowding Work France

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

June 3, 2020

France: près de 1 000 personnalités et organisations appellent Emmanuel Macron à "une véritable politique de déflation carcérale"

News

Europe Justice Overcrowding France

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

May 29, 2020

France: la Chancellerie demande aux juges de ne pas faire exécuter les peines d'incarcération de moins de six mois

News

Coronavirus Europe Justice Overcrowding France

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

May 29, 2020

France: crise du Covid-19, une occasion historique pour les prisons

News

Coronavirus Europe Health Overcrowding France

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

May 28, 2020

USA: will the Coronavirus make us rethink mass incarceration?

News

Coronavirus North America Overcrowding United States

Community groups have pointed out the social costs of the prison system for decades. Now the pandemic has exposed its public-health risks.

May 20, 2020

USA: a nation of prisons and pandemics

Testimonial

Coronavirus North America Health Overcrowding United States

The United States Penitentiary Canaan holds about 1,300 people. Qwantay A. is one of them. He has been incarcerated for 16 years and will be released in 2034. He drew some parallels between the coronavirus pandemic and mass incarceration, and shared his thoughts with Prison Insider.

May 20, 2020

Argentina: ¿para qué está la cárcel?

News

Coronavirus South America Women LGBTQI Material conditions Overcrowding Argentina

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

May 19, 2020

Thailand: student project seeks more ‘humane’ design of Bangkok prison

News

Asia Material conditions Overcrowding Thailand

BANGKOK — A university is working with a prison to help tackle overcrowding and unhygienic conditions that have stalked the Thai corrections system for years. In a joint project by King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi and Thonburi Remand Prison, architecture students are asked to come u…