< image © Zoé Vermander.
Misconceptions about prison are tenacious. Some are based on anecdotes; others, on biases. Many contribute to the spread of a warped view of the prison system and detention conditions that is based on shaky foundations. This discourse elicits strong reactions, and it can be difficult to differentiate between what comes from myth and what is supported by verified evidence.
Overcrowded facilities or incarcerated people “treated too well” and seen as menaces, systemic violence or “five-star prisons”: what do the facts actually say? These four fact-checking articles invite readers to put things into perspective and question the collective perceptions of prison.
The series What prison is not examines certain widespread assertions and addresses common misconceptions and the manipulation of facts about detention conditions in Europe.
Discover the first article: Prison: a five-star hotel?