Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

March 24, 2022

Sunny Jacobs: Life Outside

Testimonial

North America Death penalty Social ties Rehabilitation Work United States

How is life after release? Sunny Jacobs was sentenced to death and spent seventeen years in detention for a crime she did not commit. She tells Prison Insider about the many challenges one faces upon release. She now works actively towards the abolition of the death penalty. Read more

March 24, 2022

Ireland: Prisoner takes court action over period of ‘almost solitary confinement'

News

Europe Justice Ireland

A man jailed for an “odious and gut-wrenching” assault on his former girlfriend has brought High Court proceedings over a 14-day period of detention that left him in “almost solitary confinement” following an outbreak of Covid-19. Lee Goodchild (30), of Auburn Village, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, was…

Source — The Irish Times

March 24, 2022

New Zealand: Public-private partnership prison to experience same problems when taken over by government

News

Oceania Facilities New Zealand

“Once there is a take-over, they will be subjected to the pool of challenges we face at the Department of Correctional Services,” acting national commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale said. Thobakgale made the statement when briefing the portfolio committee on their readiness to take over the Mangaung a…

Source — IOL

March 24, 2022

India: State extends jail term for those found using cell phone in prison

News

Asia Justice India

The Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Monday unanimously passed the Karnataka Prisons (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which seeks to extend jail term for inmates who are found using mobile phones or any other electronic gadgets of communication on the prison premises. The amendment also enables longer in…

Source — The Hindu

March 24, 2022

Russia: Alexei Navalny sentenced to 9 years in prison

News

Europe Justice Russia

On March 22, the Lefortovo District Court of Moscow delivered its verdict at a hearing held in penal colony IK-2 in Pokrov, Vladimir Region, where Aleksei Navalny is serving his previous, arbitrary 2.5-year sentence. The court found him guilty of “fraud on an especially large scale” and “contempt o…

Source — Amnesty International

March 24, 2022

Sunny Jacobs: Life Beyond

Testimonial

North America Mental health Death penalty Religion United States

How can you escape prison with your mind? Sunny Jacobs was sentenced to death and spent seventeen years in detention for a crime she did not commit. She tells Prison Insider how yoga, meditation and prayer helped her find freedom behind prison walls. Read more

March 24, 2022

Sunny Jacobs: Life Inside

Testimonial

North America Mental health Material conditions Death penalty Activities United States

What is daily life on death row like? Sunny Jacobs was sentenced to death and spent seventeen years in detention for a crime she did not commit. She tells Prison Insider about her detention conditions and the burden of complete isolation. Read more

March 23, 2022

Chile: Corte Suprema ratifica exigencia de médico/a las 24 horas en la Cárcel de Mujeres de San Miguel

News

Women South America Health Chile

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

March 23, 2022

Bolivia: Buses médicos parquearán en cárceles y hogares

News

South America Health Bolivia

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

March 23, 2022

Argentina: Una red para encontrar empleo tras pasar por la cárcel

News

South America Rehabilitation Argentina

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

March 23, 2022

España: La realidad de la reinserción social llega al Teatro Principal de Vitoria

News

Culture Europe Spain

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

March 22, 2022

Russie : Alexeï Navalny condamné à neuf ans de prison supplémentaires

News

Europe Justice Russia

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

March 22, 2022

Niger : Les autorités doivent garantir les droits des détenus

News

Africa Material conditions Niger

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

March 18, 2022

Ukraine: prisons in the war

News Interview

Europe Violence Ukraine

Dozens of Ukrainian prisons are under the control of Russian forces. Prisoners can hear the bombing from their closed cells. What is the fate of ordinary prisoners during the conflict? Read more

March 16, 2022

Belgium: prison within prison

Interview

Europe Discipline Mental health Material conditions Belgium

When can someone be sent to solitary confinement? A new report strongly criticises the use of solitary confinement and the conditions of detention observed there. Interview. Read more

March 9, 2022

Russia/Ukraine: Prisoners of war must be protected from public curiosity under Geneva Convention

News

Europe Ukraine

In recent days, the Ukrainian authorities have brought Russian prisoners of war to press conferences to discuss their roles in the military invasion, and videos on social media have also shown captured soldiers contacting family members in Russia. Videos of captured Ukrainian soldiers have also app…

Source — Amnesty International

March 9, 2022

Russia: Parliament approves jail for ‘fake’ war reports

News

Europe Russia

Russians could face prison sentences of up to 15 years for spreading information that goes against the Russian government’s position on the war in Ukraine, a move that comes as authorities block access to foreign media outlets. The Russian parliament voted unanimously Friday to approve a draft law…

Source — Aljazeera

March 9, 2022

Russia: From prison, Navalny urges Russians to rise up and ‘stop the war’

News

Europe Russia

Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has called on Russians to rise up and fight against Vladimir Putin’s “aggressive war” in Ukraine, brandishing the Russian president an “obviously insane car”. The prominent Kremlin critic, tweeting from behind bars, urged people to stage daily protest…

Source — The London Economic

March 9, 2022

Ukraine: prisoners with combat experience will be released to help defend the nation against Russian invasion

News

Europe Ukraine

Zelensky said the decision was ‘not easy from the moral point of view’but he stressed that the defence of the nation was now the highest priority.

Source — The Daily Mail

March 9, 2022

Senegal: out of step, outlawed

Interview

Africa LGBTI Justice Material conditions Violence Senegal

A new bill is looking to toughen punishment for homosexuality. There are serious concerns about detention conditions for LGBTI people. Interview. Read more

March 9, 2022

Nigeria: the rocky road towards abolition

Interview

Africa Justice Death penalty Nigeria

While its neighbouring countries move towards the abolition of capital punishment, Nigeria is one of the last sub-Saharan African nations to still apply the death penalty. Read more

March 9, 2022

Japan: “It is about politics, fear and power”

Interview

Asia Access to legal rights Justice Material conditions Death penalty Japan

Death penalty is an ongoing issue despite international criticism. What is the current situation in Japan regarding the death penalty? Read more

March 7, 2022

Switzerland: the role of forensic psychiatric expertise

Interview

Europe Access to legal rights Justice Health Mental health Switzerland

Psychiatric expertise has grown in the last few years, especially in assessing recidivism risk. Can risk really be predicted? Interview. Read more