Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

October 12, 2019

UK: prison officers told to knock on cell doors to make youth detention "child friendly"

News

Europe United Kingdom

Prison officers have been told to knock before entering the cells of young inmates in order to make youth detention centres “more child friendly”.

October 10, 2019

UK: self-inflicted deaths rise in prisons in England and Wales

News

Europe United Kingdom

Watchdog also finds drug use continues to plague jails despite agreed action plans.

October 4, 2019

UK: baby dies in prison after inmate "gives birth alone in cell"

News

Europe United Kingdom

Police are investigating the death of a baby in Britain’s largest female prison after an inmate gave birth alone in her cell at night.

September 7, 2019

Ireland: ex-Dundee United player raises the bar helping inmates in Dublin prison project

News

Europe United Kingdom

Leaving Mountjoy, Allardice stops to comment on a garden the prisoners tend. He said if people on the outside knew what went on beyond the negative headlines they would think twice.

September 5, 2019

UK: with parents in prison, kids at risk for lasting psychiatric problems

News

Europe Mental health United Kingdom

Children who have a parent in prison may be more than twice as likely as other kids to have depression, attention problems and conduct disorders by the time they reach adolescence, a U.S. study suggests.

September 3, 2019

UK: Big rise in assault and self-harm incidents at Highpoint Prison prompts call for the number of people in prison to be reduced

News

Suicide United Kingdom

Incidents of assault and self harm at Highpoint prison have risen in recent years, amid warnings that England and Wales’ prisons have been asked “to do too much with too little for too long”.

September 3, 2019

UK: full Sutton prison inmates handed hundreds of extra days behind bars for breaking rules

News

United Kingdom

Full Sutton Prison inmates were handed hundreds of extra days behind bars for breaking rules last year, new figures reveal.

September 3, 2019

UK: Haverigg prison to become "open prison" and double in size

News

Facilities United Kingdom

HMP Haverigg is set to double in size after becoming an open prison, Ministry of Justice bosses have announced.

August 29, 2019

UK: forecast fall in prison numbers not "green light" for government justice reforms

News

Europe United Kingdom

A projected drop in the prison population is “no justification” for an “unevidenced ‘tough on crime’ policy” from the Government, campaigners have said. The comments came as the number of people behind bars was forecast to drop in the next five years.

August 29, 2019

UK: Portland prison had 'unbearable smell of dead rats'

News

Europe United Kingdom

The smell of dead rats made working conditions at a prison “unbearable”, a report has said.

August 11, 2019

UK: Boris Johnson anuncia la creación de 10.000 espacios nuevos en las prisiones

News

Europe Facilities United Kingdom

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

August 2, 2019

UK: HMP Littlehey: prison staff restrained 'frail' cancer patients

News

United Kingdom

Prison staff inappropriately restrained “frail” inmates undergoing cancer treatment, inspectors found.

August 1, 2019

UK: prison restaurant serves up cut in reoffending

News

United Kingdom

A high-quality restaurant in prison, where inmates can learn valuable skills in cooking and hospitality, is making a “significant” difference in cutting reoffending rates, say researchers. The Ministry of Justice study suggests inmates trained in the Clink restaurant are much less likely to be stuc…

July 29, 2019

UK: Welsh speaking prison guard shortage at HMP Berwyn sparks security fears over inmates calls

News

United Kingdom

There are not enough Welsh speaking prison guards to monitor inmates phone calls at HMP Berwyn.

July 26, 2019

UK: MPs investigate the ageing prison population

News

United Kingdom

The proportion of people in prison aged over 60 is expected to rise.

July 25, 2019

United Kingdom: one in seven prisons in England and Wales of "serious concern"

News

Europe United Kingdom

Nearly one in seven prisons in England and Wales have been judged to have a performance of “serious concern” the highest proportion since ratings began.

July 25, 2019

UK: throughcare support scheme suspended by prison service

News

Europe United Kingdom

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has suspended a scheme offering inmates extra support when leaving jail.

July 25, 2019

UK: prison overcrowding needs "immediate action", HLS warns

News

Overcrowding United Kingdom

Prison service “forced to concentrate on internal day to day operational issues” at expense of transitioning prisoners into community

July 24, 2019

United Kingdom: children will not be placed at Feltham for time being

News

Europe United Kingdom

Edward Argar announces temporary ban due to rising levels of violence at young offender institution.

July 24, 2019

UK: Feltham youth jail warned by prisons watchdog over ‘extraordinary’ decline in safety

News

Europe United Kingdom

In unprecedented move, chief inspectorate invokes rarely-used urgent notification process on Feltham A young offender institution (YOI) after ‘disturbing’ inspection findings including surge in violence and self-harm

July 23, 2019

United Kingdom: police must offer women detainees period products under new rules

News

Women Europe United Kingdom

Police in England and Wales must offer female detainees free sanitary products in case they are on their period while in custody, under new legislation.

July 21, 2019

UK: surge in youth prison violence sparks call to close institutions

News

Violence United Kingdom

Government accused of failing to address crisis after big rise in assaults on staff and inmates

July 9, 2019

UK: I worked in a pupil referral unit for years. The government's new "secure schools" are just a pipeline to prison

News

United Kingdom

The ease with which contracts for these youth jail schemes are being secured by for-profit organisations is dizzying. All they’ll do is preside over another disproportionately black, poor, male and disabled population

June 18, 2019

UK: prison review says family contact reduces reoffending by women

News

Women Social ties United Kingdom

Report finds that inmates who receive family visits are 39% less likely to break law again