Pre-trial detention
Pre-trial detention
Europe
Material conditions
Suicide
Overcrowding
Italy
Italy’s chronically packed prisons had a population of 62,132 imprisoned people in February compared to the 46.910 places available, with an average overcrowding rate of 132.4%, according to data released by the guarantors of the rights of persons deprived of their personal freedom.
Dominican Republic: officials cram thousands of people facing no charges into overcrowded prisons
News
Central America and the Caribbean
Pre-trial detention
Long-term prisoners
Access to legal rights
Health
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Dominican Republic
They’re known as “frog men,” incarcerated people who are forced to sleep on prison floors, often next to overflowing toilets or holes in the ground that serve as one. Thousands of them are crammed into the country’s severely overcrowded prisons, some operating at seven times their capacity.
Pre-trial detention
South America
Women
Foreign prisoners
LGBTQI
Overcrowding
Argentina
A total of 11,696 people were detained in federal prisons nationwide at the end of 2024, with overcrowding placed at 6.3 percent, revealed the Procuraduría de Violencia Institucional (Prosecutor’s Office for Institutional Violence, PROCUVIN) in its annual report.
Africa
Pre-trial detention
Access to legal rights
Nigeria
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) says over 65 per cent of incarcerated people are currently awaiting trial in correctional centers across the country. Afam Osigwe, president of the NBA, revealed this at the national executive council meeting of the association in Akure.
Pre-trial detention
Women
Europe
Foreign prisoners
Access to legal rights
Suicide
Luxembourg
There are 260 people, including 11 women, currently in pre-trial detention in Luxembourg, a number that “represents 46% of the total prison population,” the ministry told Contacto.
Crises
Pre-trial detention
Middle East
Justice
Overcrowding
Lebanon
One of the collateral effects of the ongoing war in Lebanon has been the worsening of prison overcrowding, now exceeding 300 percent of capacity. Lebanon’s acting Public Prosecutor Jamal Hajjar issued a directive to expedite the release process for individuals held in pretrial detention.
Africa
Pre-trial detention
Women
Material conditions
Facilities
Overcrowding
South Africa
The is the harsh reality what wardens and staff told the delegation they were faced with on a daily basis, often having to man over 200 remand imprisoned people awaiting trial. There are no windows or electrical sockets, beds or mattress or lights in cells they were housed in.
Africa
Crises
Pre-trial detention
Access to legal rights
Health
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Violence
Congo - Kinshasa
Families of those killed in what authorities called an attempted jailbreak in Congo’s biggest prison are demanding answers from the government as activists denounce what they say are inhumane conditions in the nation’s overcrowded penitentiaries.
Türkiye: prisons in 2024
Analysis
Pre-trial detention
Women
Europe
Minors
Foreign prisoners
LGBTQI
Long-term prisoners
Mental health
Material conditions
Facilities
Suicide
Torture
Activities
Social ties
Alternatives
Work
Turkey
All there is to know about Turkish prisons in 2024. Key figures, life in detention, references: discover all the data gathered by Prison Insider.
Côte d'Ivoire: prisons in 2025
Analysis
Africa
Pre-trial detention
Women
Minors
Foreign prisoners
LGBTQI
Long-term prisoners
Mental health
Material conditions
Facilities
Suicide
Torture
Activities
Social ties
Alternatives
Work
Côte d’Ivoire
This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: French
Lebanon: from bad to worse
Interview
Crises
Pre-trial detention
Women
Middle East
Foreign prisoners
Health
Mental health
Material conditions
Lebanon
Prisoners are suffering the consequences of the socio-economic crisis: access to medical care, food and water is no longer guaranteed. The proportion of people in remand detention far exceeds the global average and contributes to prison overcrowding. Interview.
South Africa: prisons in 2023
Analysis
Africa
Pre-trial detention
Women
Minors
Foreign prisoners
LGBTQI
Long-term prisoners
Mental health
Material conditions
Facilities
Suicide
Death penalty
Torture
Activities
Social ties
Alternatives
Work
South Africa
All there is to know about South African prisons in 2023. Key figures, life in detention, references: discover all the data gathered by Prison Insider.
Africa
Pre-trial detention
Justice
Nigeria
Three years after violent suppression of nationwide #EndSARS protests against police brutality, at least fifteen protesters arrested in 2020 are still being arbitrarily detained – the majority of them without trial – in Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre and Ikoyi Medium Security Correctional Cent…
North America
Pre-trial detention
Health
Material conditions
United States
Africa
Pre-trial detention
Women
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
Congo - Brazzaville
All there is to know about Congolese prisons in 2023. Key figures, life in detention, references: discover all the data gathered by Prison Insider.
Caught in the spiral
Thematic paper
Africa
Pre-trial detention
Asia
Access to legal rights
Justice
Drugs
Alternatives
Rehabilitation
What are the human and social costs of the recourse to imprisonment? This series explores the experiences of various civil society organisations, formerly incarcerated people, researchers and policy makers challenging the criminalisation of poverty, status or activism.
Belgium : prisons in 2023
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
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.
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.
Africa
Coronavirus
Pre-trial detention
Minors
Access to legal rights
Health
Material conditions
Social ties
Togo
What is the response to offences committed by minors? In many cases, it is detention. Civil society actors express concern over the situation of minors in conflict with the law. Three key questions shed light on this issue.
Pre-trial detention
South America
Justice
Brazil
Brazil, 2022, electoral year. The law provides that prisoners in pre-trial detention are allowed to vote. There is an ongoing legal battle for the right to vote for people in pre-trial detention.
Pre-trial detention
Asia
Violence
Russia
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Memorial Human Rights Defence Centre (HRDC Memorial) strongly condemn the crackdown following nationwide protests across Russia on 21 September to oppose “partial mobilisation” announced by Vladimir Putin. Mass arbitrary arrests of peaceful d…
Pre-trial detention
Asia
Middle East
Overcrowding
Death penalty
Palestinian Territories
Human rights organisations in the region feel like they are fighting alone against capital punishment. People are still sentenced to death and executed regularly. What is the situation in Palestine?
Haïti : "Les droits des détenus ne sont pas respectés" estime l'OCNH
News
Central America and the Caribbean
Pre-trial detention
Material conditions
Haiti
This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: French
Lebanon : prisons in 2022
Analysis
Pre-trial detention
Women
Minors
Middle East
Foreign prisoners
LGBTQI
Long-term prisoners
Access to legal rights
Discipline
Justice
Health
Mental health
Material conditions
Suicide
Overcrowding
Death penalty
Torture
Violence
Activities
Social ties
Work
Lebanon
All there is to know about Lebanese prisons in 2022. Key figures, life in detention, references: discover all the data gathered by Prison Insider.