Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

July 22, 2020

DRC: les prisons considérées comme des mouroirs

News

Africa Health Material conditions Torture Congo - Kinshasa

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: French

July 16, 2020

Colombia: Inpec confirma la reducción de casos de COVID-19 al interior de cárceles

News

Coronavirus America South America Health Colombia

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: Spanish

July 15, 2020

France: single-occupancy cells are possible

Interview

Coronavirus Europe Health Overcrowding France

The National Union of Prison Directors sent an open letter to the President of the Republic on 20 April 2020 stating that it is “no longer possible to claim that single-occupancy cells are unachievable”.

July 15, 2020

Mexico: Registra ONG mil 100 contagios de Covid-19 en cárceles

News

Coronavirus America Central America and the Caribbean Health Mexico

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: Spanish

July 15, 2020

Europe: CPT urges intensifying temporary measures introduced to prevent COVID-19

News

Coronavirus Pre-trial detention Europe Health Alternatives

the CPT says that further steps are needed to reduce the use of remand detention

July 15, 2020

USA: JAY-Z, Yo Gotti, and team ROC file lawsuit over Mississippi prison conditions

News

Coronavirus America North America Justice Health Material conditions

The class action complaint details subpar hygiene protocols, lack of proper healthcare, and more at Mississippi State Penitentiary Parchman

July 15, 2020

Cuba: Humiliation non-stop

Testimonial

America Central America and the Caribbean Foreign prisoners Access to legal rights Justice Health Material conditions Torture Cuba

Jacques was arrested in February 2017 by the Cuban criminal justice system and was immediately incarcerated in a state owned highly secured prison, held incommunicado for 48 days. Her daughter became fatherless overnight. He was transferred to France in September 2019. He narrates to Prison Insider…

July 8, 2020

USA: many deaths at New York state prisons are preventable, review finds

News

North America Health United States

A state prisoner who’d been losing a dramatic amount of weight began to vomit uncontrollably, and was repeatedly given Ibuprofen that made her internal bleeding worse before she died. Another person behind bars waited nearly an hour for a nurse to call an ambulance after he collapsed and had a seiz…

July 8, 2020

USA: No one should have to die in prison

News

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.

July 2, 2020

Colombia: se disparan casos de coronavirus en cárceles de Cali, Cartagena y El Espinal

News

Coronavirus America South America Health Colombia

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: Spanish

July 2, 2020

Chile: la realidad de las cárceles en pandemia y la falta de información pública

News

Coronavirus America South America Health Chile

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: Spanish

July 2, 2020

South Africa: Pietermaritzburg prisoners fear Covid-19

News

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.

July 2, 2020

Egypt: ‘It would spread quickly in those cells’

News

Africa Coronavirus Health Egypt

Families of prisoners at notorious Tora complex concerned publicised efforts to contain virus are purely cosmetic

July 2, 2020

USA: the coronavirus crisis inside prisons won’t stay behind bars

News

Coronavirus North America Health United States

Federal officials recognized the danger of the spread of coronavirus in prisons early, but have dragged their feet releasing at-risk inmates.

July 2, 2020

USA: massive COVID-19 outbreak at a southern NM prison hits just one type of inmates — sex offenders. That’s by design.

News

Coronavirus North America Health United States

As the coronavirus established a foothold in southern New Mexico’s Otero County Prison Facility in mid-May, state officials quietly moved 39 inmates out of the massive complex near the Texas border to another prison near Santa Fe. The inmates shared something in common: None was a sex offender. In…

July 1, 2020

Canada: Inuit overrepresented in federal prisons’ COVID-19 cases

Coronavirus America North America Health Canada

“They were afraid, they were stressed, they were kept in isolation”

July 1, 2020

USA: Coronavirus cases skyrocket at Bay Area prison after inmate transfers

News

Coronavirus America Health United States

Some men hadn’t been tested for weeks prior to being moved to San Quentin, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

July 1, 2020

France: Inequality of life during an epidemic

Analysis Opinion

Coronavirus Women Europe Minors Foreign prisoners Health Overcrowding France

Those imprisoned or detained are in forced confinement, states Didier Fassin. He has published a forum on the Liberation website. He questions whether the “sense of responsibility and solidarity” advocated by Emmanuel Macron stops at the doors of prisons and overcrowded detention centres.

July 1, 2020

France: “They make me panic”

Testimonial

Coronavirus Europe Health France

Samy has chronic bronchitis. Due to a lack of care units, he has recently been transferred from a semi-custodial facility to the “new arrivals” unit of Mans detention centre. He recounts his detention conditions.

July 1, 2020

USA: Covid-19 cases at San Quentin prison surge to 1,000

News

Coronavirus America 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.

July 1, 2020

Cameroon : à Douala, déboires et espoirs des mineurs de la prison

News

Africa Coronavirus Minors Health Cameroon

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: French

June 24, 2020

France: déconfinement en prison, "le gel hydroalcoolique est banni, au cas où je voudrais le boire !"

News

Coronavirus Europe Health France

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: French

June 24, 2020

Colombia: 2.236 internos contagiados por la COVID-19 en 17 cárceles

News

Coronavirus South America Health Colombia

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: Spanish

June 24, 2020

Ecuador: exigen medidas ante brotes de Covid-19 en cárceles

News

Coronavirus South America Health Ecuador

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: Spanish