April 2025
North America
Justice
Alternatives
United States
People on probation or parole are being incarcerated for “technical violations” when they break onerous rules that set them up to fail.
Europe
Discipline
Health
Mental health
Material conditions
United Kingdom
The number of people dying in prison in Scotland surged to a record number of 64 in 2024, a 60 per cent increase on the previous year, prompting grave concern from experts who warned that the nation’s prison mortality rate is among the highest in Europe.
Women
Europe
Drugs
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Alternatives
Ireland
The prison population across Ireland exceeds 5,000 in a system with bed capacity for over 4,600, leaving the Irish Prison Service operating at 14% over capacity.
Europe
Justice
Mental health
Overcrowding
Violence
Romania
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) expressed serious concern about the significant increase in prison overcrowding in Romania and called on Romania and other states to eradicate that and informal prison hierarchy.
Africa
Pre-trial detention
Women
Material conditions
Overcrowding
South Africa
Female and remand people in prison are enduring massive overcrowding at Cape Town’s Pollsmoor correctional facility, parliamentarians discovered during an oversight visit.
Africa
Health
Overcrowding
South Sudan
National Prison Service of South Sudan (NPSSS) and health officials in the Western Bahr el Ghazal State capital, Wau, have confirmed that one incarcerated person died of cholera and at least five are in critical condition after contracting the disease at Wau Central Prison.
Cameroon: still falling short
Interview
Africa
Access to legal rights
Justice
Death penalty
Cameroon
Access to justice is hindered. There is no mechanism to monitor prisons, and the death penalty remains part of the penal code. Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture in Cameroon is campaigning on all these fronts.
Women
Activities
Rehabilitation
Work
Sierra Leone
After spending almost four years in prison in Freetown, football has provided Marie with the chance of a fresh start in life. While behind bars at a correctional facility in the capital, she enrolled in the first-ever coaching course for women in prison.
Central America and the Caribbean
Pre-trial detention
Women
Drugs
Overcrowding
Mexico
Official data from the Mexican government shows the country’s prison system faces a critical overcrowding crisis. By February 2025, 240,212 people were incarcerated in 275 prisons with an official capacity of 224,825.
Asia
Mental health
Suicide
Violence
Armenia
An incarcerated person has died by suicide at Armenia’s Nubarashen correctional facility. According to the penitentiary service, 54-year-old Z.H. hanged himself on 20 April. This marks the 10th death and the 5th suicide in Armenian prisons within the first four months of this year.
Europe
Social ties
Rehabilitation
United Kingdom
A charity has appealed for more volunteers to get involved with its transport scheme, to help families of people in prison maintain contact.
Europe
Mental health
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Rehabilitation
Belgium
Overcrowding in Ghent prison reached alarming proportions in 2024, according to a new report by the Inspection Committee. The number of complaints from incarcerated people about living conditions in the prison has risen sharply.
Mutineers, rebels and objectors
Analysis
Inside Outside
Africa
North America
South America
Asia
Europe
Middle East
Protest
Prison Insider, represented by Clara Grisot, contributed twelve compositions to the book InsideOutside to articulate, in a few words, the current challenges of prison life. Eighth piece: rebellion.
Africa
Elderly prisoners
Health
Overcrowding
South Sudan
Health officials in Lakes State have reported cases of chickenpox and suspected measles at Rumbek Central Prison, with 24 infections identified among incarcerated people. State Health Director General said that two elderly were severely infected, while the rest were between 25 and 30 years old.
Crises
Middle East
Justice
Social ties
Egypt
Ahmed Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, whose father is also in prison, faces up to 10 years behind bars after being arrested in New Cairo.
Pakistan: Punjab launches prison sports initiative to promote incarcerated people rehabilitation
News
Asia
Social ties
Rehabilitation
Pakistan
The Punjab government has launched indoor sports competitions across jails in the province, following the directive of Home Secretary Noor-ul-Amin Mengal. The initiative, which kicked off with an intra-region volleyball tournament, aims to promote positive activities and provide a healthier environ…
Crises
Middle East
Justice
Health
Mental health
Iran
Political prisoner Davood Hadadinia has begun a hunger strike in Yasouj Prison to protest his continued detention and the lack of progress in processing his case.