The planet is cracking at the seams. Prisoners are relegated to the last strata of the pyramid of priorities. The more critical the situation, the more difficult it seems to provide factual and nuanced background information. The fate of prisoners returns to the forefront of public debate with controversies that are as sensational as they are sterile.
On a daily basis, detained persons and their families live the impact of detention, the violation of their dignity and the erosion of their prospects. In this context, the civil society actors must commit themselves day after day. They play an immeasurable role in protecting the rights and preserving the dignity of detained persons. These are the realities in which new approaches are invented and solutions to urgent issues are found.
Prison Insider builds a bridge between these worlds. Our platform relentlessly collects and reports on all that is said, written or thought about prison conditions. We have a dream: that no one should decide to limit the rights of prisoners without first having informed their opinion in light of the facts. Let the debates be based on observed realities as opposed to security myths.
Depriving someone of liberty is a serious matter. Putting in place a system that guarantees dignified detention conditions is a courageous act. The public cost of prison may seem high compared with its results in terms of reintegration. But it remains infinitesimal compared to the human and social cost of confinement.
The time is ripe to think about imprisoning less.
