Material conditions
North America
Long-term prisoners
Health
Material conditions
Overcrowding
United States
The words “help we matter 2” are seen written in a window at the Cook County Department of Corrections, housing one of the nation’s largest jails, in Chicago, Illinois, on April 9, 2020.
Africa
Coronavirus
Long-term prisoners
Health
Material conditions
Overcrowding
South Africa
Inmates serving lengthy sentences for serious and violent crimes say basic regulations to combat the spread of the coronavirus are being flouted, putting their lives at risk.
Coronavirus
North America
Health
Material conditions
United States
The number of coronavirus cases in California’s San Quentin state prison has crossed a thousand, with more than 900 cases being diagnosed in the last two weeks alone.
Uruguay: controlaron revuelta en la cárcel de Punta de Rieles tras requisa masiva
News
South America
Material conditions
Protest
Uruguay
This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: Spanish
Global Prison Trends 2020
Report
Africa
Asia
Europe
Middle East
Oceania
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Over 11 million people are held in prisons worldwide. Many face substandard detention conditions. Sentences keep getting longer, in underfunded justice systems. PRI has published its annual report on the state of prisons and the use of imprisonment: Global Prison Trends 2020.
Asia
Material conditions
Work
Taiwan
A Taiwanese technical mission to the Pacific island nation of Nauru is helping a penal facility improve food self-reliance and is teaching inmates skills they can use after their release, the team said yesterday.
“The project, with the goal of minimizing waste, officially started in January, with a…
Middle East
Health
Material conditions
Yemen
The Yemeni Abductees’ Mothers Association in the city of Aden yesterday warned that the detainees in Bir Ahmed Prison are facing a “slow death” due to ill-treatment by the prison administration.
The group said in a statement that the prison administration deliberately mistreats detainees by cutting…
Coronavirus
Minors
Oceania
Material conditions
Social ties
Australia
Report reveals inmates going without soap and children in out-of-home care system being refused contact with families
France: surpopulation, personnel débordé, locaux "immondes", le triste bilan des prisons françaises en 2019
News
Europe
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Work
France
This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: French
Lockdown is not imprisonment!
Insights
Coronavirus
Discipline
Justice
Material conditions
Alternatives
France
Finally free? Two researchers discuss the parallels between lockdown and incarceration. In their opinion, comparisons with prison are misleading.
Coronavirus
North America
Health
Material conditions
United States
The plaintiffs want an independent expert to assess whether the facility has implemented social distancing measures, testing procedures, and hygiene practices adequate enough to reasonably protect detainees from contracting COVID-19 while in custody.
Argentina: ¿para qué está la cárcel?
News
Coronavirus
South America
Women
LGBTQI
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Argentina
This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: Spanish
Asia
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Thailand
BANGKOK — A university is working with a prison to help tackle overcrowding and unhygienic conditions that have stalked the Thai corrections system for years.
In a joint project by King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi and Thonburi Remand Prison, architecture students are asked to come u…
Guinea: plongée dans l'enfer du camp militaire de Soronkoni
News
Africa
Material conditions
Violence
Work
Guinea
This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: French
Colombia: E-Containers ofrece cárceles en contenedores para dar solución al hacinamiento
News
South America
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Colombia
This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: Spanish
Coronavirus
South America
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Violence
Venezuela
Government failure to address chronically dire prison conditions
Coronavirus
South America
Health
Material conditions
Brazil
Open and poorly treated wounds, food waste on the cell floor, rat faeces, little ventilation, water rationing, insects everywhere. While some inmates do not even get up from their beds, such is their weak state of health, others are stuck in wheelchairs. To wash one’s body or one’s hands or clean a…
Türkiye: a life in isolation
Interview
Europe
LGBTQI
Access to legal rights
Material conditions
Facilities
Turkey
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) prisoners represent a minority. Their protection is not ensured at all levels and their specific needs are neglected. Hilal Basak Demirbas works at the Society in the Penal System association. She regularly exchanges letters with LGBTI prison…
Coronavirus
Europe
Health
Material conditions
Social ties
Hungary
The Hungarian penitentiary institutions have become even more closed and less transparent since the COVID-19 outbreak. On 5 April 2020, a Government Decree introduced tighter measures for prisons. The Hungarian Helsinki Committee updates us on the situation.
Greece: reforming prison system and ending police ill-treatment are urgent priorities, says CPT
News
Europe
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Violence
Greece
After a visit to prisons in Greece last year, the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) recommends that the Greek authorities remedy structural problems that have led to enduring ill-treatment of detainees, prison overcrow…
Spain: las videollamadas llegan a las cárceles
News
Coronavirus
Europe
Material conditions
Social ties
Spain
This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: Spanish
France: "on ne sait pas encore si c’est les ERIS ou le virus qui va nous mettre à terre"
News
Coronavirus
Europe
Health
Material conditions
France
This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: French
France: face au coronavirus, la déflation carcérale a commencé
News
Coronavirus
Europe
Health
Material conditions
France
This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: French
Africa
Health
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Burundi
D. is incarcerated in the Mpimba prison. He is one of over 4000 inmates in a dilapidated establishment that was designed to hold up to 800. He describes his day to day life.