June 2025
Women
Europe
Health
Material conditions
Facilities
Cyprus
The prisons department sought to rubbish allegations of unhygienic conditions for incarcerated people – including tainted food and unclean showers – attributing such claims to “ulterior motives”.
Crises
North America
Material conditions
Facilities
United States
Incarcerated people at the Lancaster County Prison endured extreme heat as temperatures this week soared to the high 90s and felt like over 100 degrees in some spots.
Violent lives
Analysis
Inside Outside
Africa
North America
Pre-trial detention
South America
Asia
Europe
Middle East
Torture
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. Ninth piece: torture.
Oceania
Justice
Social ties
Rehabilitation
Australia
Australia is confronting a significant issue with reincarceration, with a large number of individuals released from prison each year finding themselves back behind bars.
Europe
Minors
Discipline
Mental health
Drugs
Overcrowding
Violence
United Kingdom
The rollout of synthetic pepper spray for use to incapacitate jailed children is “wholly irresponsible” while black and minority imprisoned people are more likely to be subjected to force than white imprisoned people, a watchdog has said.
North America
Pre-trial detention
Health
Mental health
Material conditions
Suicide
Overcrowding
Alternatives
United States
Another person has died in Los Angeles County Jails, bringing the county’s number of deaths this year to a staggering 22. LA jails have totaled 99 deaths since the start of 2023.
Crises
Asia
Violence
Myanmar (Burma)
Around 200 political prisoners, including prominent Monywa protest leader Wai Moe Naing, have been transferred from Monywa Prison to undisclosed locations, according to the Political Prisoners Network-Myanmar (PPNM) and the Monywa People’s Strike Steering Committee.
Middle East
Access to legal rights
Death penalty
Torture
Social ties
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior has reported that journalist Turki al-Jasser was executed after spending seven years in prison on charges of treason, collaboration with foreign entities, financing terrorism and jeopardising national security and unity.
South America
Foreign prisoners
Material conditions
Facilities
Overcrowding
Peru
Peru is weighing sending what it considers highly dangerous foreign incarcerated people to prisons in El Salvador, the prime minister said, potentially following in the footsteps of the U.S.’ deportations of migrants to the Central American nation.
Culture
Europe
Health
Material conditions
Violence
Activities
Portugal
In a statement, the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP) said that “all inmates are participating in regular meal schedules,” after a group of 30 incarcerated people began a protest to demand better conditions in the prison.
Pre-trial detention
Foreign prisoners
Overcrowding
South Africa
Within three months, 6,571 more incarcerated people occupied prisons throughout South Africa, bringing the total population to 166,924 as of December 31, 2024.
Europe
Facilities
Social ties
Malta
There have been 100 people in prison and a total of 177 children under the age of fourteen who have made use of the visiting facility in Marsa intended for residents of the Corradino Correctional Facility to be able to meet with their children outside of the prison.
Africa
Pre-trial detention
Access to legal rights
Justice
Material conditions
Alternatives
Maria Teresa Manuela is the Special Rapporteur on Prisons, Conditions of Detention and Policing in Africa. She shares insights into the African Commission’s efforts to uphold the rights of people deprived of their liberty.
Zimbabwe: prison cells meant for 35 imprisoned people now holding over 80, Zimbabwe rights body says
News
Africa
Culture
Access to legal rights
Health
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Violence
Social ties
Zimbabwe
Prison cells meant to hold 35 imprisoned people are now crammed with more than 80 people at Harare Remand Prison, where broken phone lines have cut off imprisoned people from families and two university students were barred from writing exams while in custody.
Asia
Elderly prisoners
Long-term prisoners
Justice
Drugs
Activities
Rehabilitation
Work
Japan
For the first time in more than a century, Japan has overhauled its prison system with new rules placing greater emphasis on rehabilitation over punishment to combat the country’s high recidivism rates.
Culture
Oceania
Health
Mental health
Material conditions
Facilities
New Zealand
The Government has opened a new 596-bed facility at Waikeria Prison. It comprises 28 buildings across 21 hectares, 14 kilometres south of Te Awamutu.