Drugs
Europe
Drugs
Overcrowding
Social ties
United Kingdom
Incarcerated people at a troubled jail in Nottinghamshire have repeatedly been held in their cells “due to staffing levels”, new figures have shown.
North America
Justice
Drugs
Material conditions
Facilities
Violence
United States
Amid a decade-long court battle, control of Hinds County’s Raymond Detention Center — severely understaffed and rife with violence, dysfunction and inhumane conditions — is now under the control of a court-appointed administrator.
Europe
Drugs
Overcrowding
Violence
United Kingdom
A report has said staffing levels at a prison are having a negative impact on incarcerated people welfare and progression.
Africa
Access to legal rights
Drugs
Material conditions
Social ties
Nigeria
Journalist and activist Agba Jalingo has described Nigerian detention centres and prisons as hubs of extortion and illicit activities, alleging that access to basic rights in custody depends largely on money.
Africa
Drugs
Material conditions
Facilities
Overcrowding
South Africa
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) member of Parliament (MP), Betty Diale, has called for urgent action to fix broken correctional services. According to Diale, the correctional services system is exposed to overcrowding, collapsing infrastructure, rampant gangsterism and contraband smuggling.
Pre-trial detention
Europe
Drugs
Overcrowding
Activities
Social ties
Work
United Kingdom
Staff corruption is a “major problem” at an overcrowded West London prison where over a third of incarcerated people are testing positive for illegal drugs, prison inspectors have found.
Europe
Drugs
Material conditions
Facilities
Overcrowding
Violence
Ireland
The Prison Officers Association (POA) has said the overcrowding crisis within Irish prisons has deepened even further this year. The service has published its annual report for 2024, in which it highlights the urgent need for expanded capacity amid mounting challenges that it faces.
Middle East
Foreign prisoners
Drugs
Death penalty
Iran
The death sentences of six incarcerated people previously convicted on drug-related charges were carried out in Bandar Abbas Prison.
Crises
Middle East
Foreign prisoners
Drugs
Death penalty
Iran
Human rights groups have expressed serious concern over the growing number of executions of Afghan migrants in Iran, warning of rising injustice and lack of fair trials.
Middle East
Foreign prisoners
Drugs
Death penalty
Iran
According to HRANA, the executed person was an Afghan national. His identity is currently being verified. Sources indicate that the incarcerated person had been arrested on drug-related charges and was later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.
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.
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.
Crises
Minors
Middle East
Drugs
Death penalty
Social ties
Iran
Iran executed at least 163 imprisoned people in May, marking a 143 percent increase from the 67 executions recorded in May 2024, according to a human rights organization.
Europe
Health
Mental health
Drugs
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Alternatives
Ireland
The number of incarcerated people who died in custody increased by 55% last year - up from 20 in 2023 to 31 last year. However, Chief Inspector of Prisons said the “increase is even higher” when the figures are broken down.“If we look purely at deaths in prisons, they’ve actually gone up by 90%”.