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Insights Testimonial

October 7, 2025

Connecting Stories Beyond Bars

America Pre-trial detention Women Europe Long-term prisoners Access to legal rights Mental health Material conditions Violence Social ties

‘Connecting Stories Beyond Bars - The invisible impact of prison on relatives’ is a six-episode docuseries produced with Acifad (Argentina), Amparar (Brasil), Relais Famille (Canada), OIP-SF (France), Documenta (Mexico) and POPS (UK). Read

June 12, 2026

Ethiopia : sleeping in turns

Interview

Africa Women Minors Overcrowding Violence Ethiopia

Kumsa Gutteta spent more than twelve years behind bars in Ethiopia. Today, Director of the Centre for Justice, he describes a prison system marked by extreme overcrowding, years of armed conflict and the absence of alternatives to imprisonment.

capture_d_ecran_2026_04_24_a_15.59.53.png

May 13, 2026

Prison Insider in 2025

Activity report

Crises Material conditions Facilities Overcrowding Social ties

Staying true to its mission, Prison Insider continues to shed light on prison conditions across the globe, year after year. Take a look at the activities carried out in 2025 by leafing through our activity report.

May 12, 2026

Scotland: “A state of permanent hyperawareness”

Testimonial

Europe Health Mental health Material conditions Facilities Social ties Rehabilitation United Kingdom

John has been incarcerated for nearly twenty years since the age of 16. Now a husband, a father, and a PhD researcher, he shares his story with us — from his time behind bars to how prison still impacts him today. Interview.

May 11, 2026

Belgium: prison staff strike over overcrowding

News

Europe Overcrowding Violence Belgium

Prison staff across Belgium began a nationwide strike at 6am on Monday, protesting against severe overcrowding, rising violence and heavy workloads.

May 9, 2026

New Zealand: corrections union says fuel crisis worsening prison staffing shortages

News

Oceania Overcrowding New Zealand

The union representing prison staff said the Department of Corrections is not prepared for the fuel crisis, making existing staffing woes worse.

May 6, 2026

United States: Texas prisons saw 2,500% increase in overdose deaths in 7 years, TDCJ leader says

News

America Health Drugs United States

Overdose deaths in Texas prisons jumped 2,480% over the past seven years, a state prison official told lawmakers this week as they consider ways to curb contraband in Texas correctional facilities.

May 5, 2026

United Kingdom: prison has record for number of working incarcerated people

News

Europe Work United Kingdom

A prison has set a UK record with the number of its incarcerated people working while behind bars, it has been revealed.

May 4, 2026

Greece: 11 arrested after deadly Serres prison clash

News

Europe Violence Greece

Eleven incarcerated people have been arrested after a deadly confrontation inside a Greek prison left two incarcerated men dead, with authorities investigating how weapons were obtained and security measures were breached during the incident.

May 4, 2026

Trinidad and Tobago: broken prison system undermining crime fight, experts say

News

America Facilities Overcrowding Alternatives Rehabilitation Trinidad & Tobago

As the Government intensifies its fight against crime through State of Emergency measures, policing strategies and legislative reform, one of the country’s most critical crime-generating environments—the prison system—continues to operate under severe strain.

May 2, 2026

Libya: second incident in a week, body of a Sufi sheikh found in a Benghazi prison

News

Africa Crises Access to legal rights Health Torture Social ties Libya

The Supreme Council of Sufism in Libya announced the discovery of the body of citizen Omar Al-Farsi (64) in the city of Benghazi, confirming that the victim had been arbitrarily detained prior to his death in prisons run by the “Madkhalis“, as it described.

April 30, 2026

Ireland: prison officers to be issued with body cameras, batons amid rise in violence

News

Europe Discipline Overcrowding Violence Ireland

The Director of the Irish Prison Service has said prison officers are to be issued with body worn cameras and batons for personal protection later this year to deal with the increased levels of violence in the prisons.

April 30, 2026

Russia: at least 6 political prisoners died in custody in the first 4 months of 2026

News

Crises Asia Europe Health Mental health Suicide Russia

According to data from the human rights organization Memorial, more than 5,000 people in Russia are victims of political repression. At least 68 of them have died in custody over the past decade and a half, including at least six since the start of 2026.

April 27, 2026

France: prison guards call for strike action as overcrowding crisis deepens

News

Europe Overcrowding France

France’s prisons are edging closer to a breaking point, with one of the country’s main prison guard unions calling for strike action to force what it says are long-overdue reforms.

April 25, 2026

Afghanistan: 116 million afghanis prison facilities construction begins in Panjshir

News

Asia Facilities Afghanistan

Construction of central prison facilities has officially begun in central Panjshir province at a cost of 116 million afghanis, an official said on Saturday.

April 24, 2026

United Kingdom: incarcerated people evacuated from prison building due to fire

News

Crises Europe Facilities United Kingdom

Incarcerated people were evacuated from a prison building at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk after a fire broke out.

April 22, 2026

Armenia: suicide attempt at Armavir prison amid growing concerns

News

Asia Europe Mental health Suicide Overcrowding Armenia

On March 20, an incarcerated person at the Armavir penitentiary institution attempted suicide by hanging, drawing renewed attention to deteriorating conditions and safety standards in Armenia’s prison system.

April 22, 2026

Mozambique: prison overcrowding reaches 113 per cent

News

Africa Material conditions Facilities Overcrowding Alternatives Rehabilitation Mozambique

Mozambique’s Attorney-General, Americo Letela, has revealed that the country’s prisons now hold more than twice the number of incarcerated people they were designed for.

April 20, 2026

United States: as Montana moves incarcerated people to a prison in Mississippi, families worry about losing contact

News

America Facilities Social ties United States

The Montana Department of Corrections plans to move hundreds of incarcerated people to Mississippi, adding obstacles and uncertainty for families trying to keep in touch with their loved ones.

April 20, 2026

Belarus: UN experts warn of "deeply alarming detention practices"

News

Europe Discipline Health Mental health Material conditions Suicide Torture Social ties Belarus

United Nations experts expressed concern over allegations of prolonged incommunicado detention and dire custody conditions in Belarus that may amount to torture.

April 19, 2026

Iran: 20 political prisoners transferred from Evin Prison, denied contact with families

News

Crises Asia Facilities Social ties Iran

According to a report by the Voice of Prisoners in East Kurdistan and Iran, 20 political prisoners have been transferred from Evin Prison to Ghezel Hesar Prison over the past few days, and all contact with their families has been severed.

April 18, 2026

China: CTA highlights case of Tibetan political prisoner and writer Tsultrim Gyaltsen, renews human rights concerns

News

Crises Asia Social ties China

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has spotlighted Tibetan writer and political prisoner Tsultrim Gyaltsen’s case. The administration claimed that Gyaltsen’s family has faced severe restrictions, with only a single brief visit reportedly allowed in October 2014.

April 17, 2026

Venezuela: dozens of political prisoners freed

News

America Crises Venezuela

Venezuela freed 46 political prisoners on April 16, the latest releases after the fall of autocratic leader Nicolas Maduro.

April 16, 2026

El Salvador: Bukele signs reforms allowing life prison sentences for people as young as 12

News

America Minors Long-term prisoners El Salvador

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele signed into law constitutional reforms to permit life prison sentences for people as young as 12, a contentious reform that follows other heavy-handed measures pushed through by the populist leader.