Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

November 7, 2016

UK : Bedford Prison Riot VideoPrison guards were forced to retreat to a ‘safe place’ until riot officers arrived.

News

Europe Protest United Kingdom

Video shows inmates whooping with excitement during six-hour rampage.Prison guards were forced to retreat to a ‘safe place’ until riot officers arrived.

November 7, 2016

UK : two Pentonville prisoners hid escape with 'pillow bodies'

News

United Kingdom

Two prisoners have escaped from HMP Pentonville, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has said. The escape was discovered when officers carrying out checks found two pillows made to look like bodies in the prisoners’ beds on Monday. It is understood the inmates, aged 28 and 31, used diamond-tipped cutting…

November 3, 2016

UK : government to recruit 2,500 new prison officers after warning cuts are leaving jails unsafe

News

United Kingdom

The Government has announced cash for an extra 2,500 prison officers as those working on the front line warn the safety of jails is threatened by falling staff numbers and cuts.

November 2, 2016

USA : these puppies have a ‘magical’ effect on a state prison

News

United Kingdom

A program called Tender Loving Canines is among the new and restored rehabilitation courses popping up in California state prisons since Gov. Jerry Brown began emphasizing programs that help inmates prepare to reenter society. When a pair of puppies stepped into a state prison’s highest security ya…

November 2, 2016

UK : eagles could be used to guard prisons from drones being used to smuggle in drugs, weapons and other contraband

News

Drugs United Kingdom

Eagles could be deployed to intercept drones being used to smuggle drugs, weapons and other contraband into prisons. Prisons Minister Sam Gyimah said the birds of prey could be recruited to take down remote-controlled miniature aircraft as they are flown towards jails.

November 2, 2016

UK : Truss to hold talks with prison officers over violence

News

Europe Violence United Kingdom

Justice Secretary Liz Truss is due to hold urgent talks with leaders of the Prison Officers Association as concerns grow about safety in jails. The union had planned meetings outside each jail on Tuesday, to highlight fears over increasing violence and suicides in English and Welsh prisons. The mov…

October 27, 2016

UK : prison violence epidemic partly due to staff cuts, MoJ admits

News

Violence United Kingdom

Self-inflicted deaths at a record high and assaults rise 34% as observers condemn “toxic mix of violence, death and misery”. The Ministry of Justice has explicitly acknowledged that staff cuts are a factor in the rising tide of violence in prisons in England and Wales.

October 26, 2016

UK : criminals under 25 should not go to adult prison, MPs say

News

United Kingdom

‘The Ministry of Justice has not clearly articulated to us why it has not acted decisively to develop a systematic new approach to young adults, given the weight of evidence’. Young offenders are still developing neurologically up to age of 25 and should be kept out of adult prisons, a group of MPs…

October 24, 2016

UK : prison and probation 'must be overhauled to cut re-offending that costs taxpayer billions of pounds'

News

United Kingdom

Prison and probation services in England and Wales must be overhauled to drive down re-offending rates that cost the taxpayer billions of pounds, according to a report. Ministers were urged to push up staffing numbers and bring in legislation to establish a new rehabilitation “duty”.

October 21, 2016

UK : prison reforms 'simply not achievable' amid 'loss of control'

News

Justice United Kingdom

The government’s ambitious prison reform plans are “simply not achievable”, the former chief inspector of prisons has warned. Giving a lecture in London, Prof Nick Hardwick said rising suicides, assaults and murders in jails were proof of the “loss of control”. His comments come days after a prison…

October 14, 2016

UK : the hidden mental health crisis in women’s prisons

News

Women Health Mental health United Kingdom

From self-harming in groups to starvation and self-immolation, women are overwhelmingly more likely than men to hurt themselves while incarcerated. So why isn’t the prison system responding? Maria, 29, is a disability rights activist who uses a wheelchair. She also has borderline personality disord…

October 5, 2016

UK : Juliet Lyon, ‘If the state takes away your liberty, it must keep you safe’

News

United Kingdom

The almost 17 years Juliet Lyon spent as director of the Prison Reform Trust before stepping down in July was good preparation for her new role as chair of the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody (IAP). With figures last month showing violence and death in English and Welsh prisons at a…

September 27, 2016

UK : prisons inspector slates HMP Bedford as 'abject failure' over standards

News

United Kingdom

It is easier to get illegal drugs than to get clothes or sheets in Bedford prison, where standards have declined to “unacceptable levels”, according to the new chief inspector of prisons. Peter Clarke, the former head of police counter-terrorism, said it was hard to understand how there had been “s…

September 21, 2016

UK : prison violence at 'wholly unacceptable' level, ombudsman finds

News

Violence United Kingdom

An official inquiry has criticised the “wholly unacceptable level of violence” in English and Welsh jails after a record six inmates were killed in 2015-16. A report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman into the six homicides also uncovered a 38% rise in the number of assaults involving a blade o…

September 16, 2016

UK : prisoner died after jail staff "failed to treat his severe asthma"

News

Health Violence United Kingdom

A prison inmate who suffered from severe asthma died due to “serious failings” in the way jail staff managed his medical condition, a coroner has ruled. Senior Coroner Andre Rebello has warned that unless lessons are learned from the death of Ashley Gil, the prison service may experience future fat…

September 14, 2016

England and Wales : rise in prisoners moved to mental health hospitals

News

Health Mental health United Kingdom

More prisoners are being diagnosed with mental health problems requiring hospital treatment, official figures obtained by the Guardian show. The number of male prisoners being transferred to hospital under the 1983 Mental Health Act grew by more than 20% between 2011 and 2014 in England and Wales,…

August 22, 2016

Grande-Bretagne : lutte contre l’islamisme radical en prison

News

Religion United Kingdom

Le gouvernement britannique va dévoiler, lundi 22 août, un plan contre l’islamisme radical en prison, prévoyant notamment d’isoler les détenus les plus dangereux et d’interdire à ceux qui encouragent des croyances contraires aux “valeurs britanniques fondamentales” de participer aux prières.

July 27, 2016

UK : inside UK's biggest prison

News

United Kingdom

By the end of this year, HMP Oakwood in Staffordshire will be the largest prison in the UK, with more than 2,000 inmates. Run by private firm G4S, Oakwood’s reputation was dented in 2014 when a wing in the prison was taken over by inmates.

July 24, 2016

Scotland : nearly 70 prisoners sign petition alleging "medical neglect" at Edinburgh prison

News

Health Protest United Kingdom

An investigation is underway after 65 prisoners signed a petition criticising the medical services at Edinburgh prison. The inmates have alleged “serious medical neglect” and claim that a prisoner who died recently did not get the help he needed.

July 22, 2016

UK : an inmate dies in apparent overdose after calls for help allegedly ignored

News

Health Drugs Violence United Kingdom

A prisoner who died after apparently overdosing on prescription medicines had allegedly been ringing her cell alarm bell for more than two hours with no response, the Guardian has learned.

July 19, 2016

UK : the first annual report of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons released

News

Justice United Kingdom

“Uniquely we focus on the prisoner experience. We make our judgements based on international human rights standards, in support of the UK’s treaty obligations. The Inspectorate is not a regulator in the sense of having powers to enforce standards. Our power comes from the ability to publish our rep…

May 25, 2016

UK : women forced to give birth in front of male prison guards in case they try to escape prison

News

Women Violence United Kingdom

Babies born in prisons have a much higher chance of developing mental health problems, the report claims. The Government is coming under pressure to justify why it imprisons pregnant women and their babies, after a report suggested that the practice can cause significant harm to infants and mothers…

May 18, 2016

UK : Skype, iPads and in-cell education at heart of major prisons shakeup

News

United Kingdom

Prisoners should be able to use iPads in their cells and stay in touch with friends and family via Skype, a major study commissioned by the justice secretary, Michael Gove, is expected to conclude.

October 14, 2015

Grande-Bretagne : la formation des gardiens de prison n'aura pas lieu

News

United Kingdom

Le gouvernement britannique s’est trouvé contraint, sous la pression de l’opinion, de se retirer d’un appel d’offres visant la formation de gardiens de prison en Arabie Saoudite.