Violence
Women
Europe
Mental health
Suicide
Violence
United Kingdom
The number of self-harm incidents at a women’s prison in Surrey has increased by nearly 20% in a year, a report has found. The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) said a high turnover of incarcerated people at HMP Send had contributed to a number of “concerning trends”.
Crises
Middle East
Health
Material conditions
Torture
Violence
Israel
The petition alleged that the policy of trimming down food counts as hunger and holding incarcerated people in torturous conditions, which goes against both Israeli law and international law.
Asia
Discipline
Health
Material conditions
Torture
Violence
Social ties
Myanmar (Burma)
A recently released political incarcerated person from Hpa-An (Taung Kalay) prison revealed that 12 political imprisoned people who had asked for more nutritious food were placed in solitary confinement and tortured by prison officials. This brutal treatment resulted in the death of one of them.
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.
Crises
Middle East
Violence
Social ties
Iran
Iranian authorities beat several political prisoners during the transfer of more than 600 detainees back to Evin Prison.
North America
LGBTQI
Long-term prisoners
Health
Mental health
Violence
United States
Riicara Janel Dior is a trans woman currently serving time at the Grafton Correctional Institution — a men’s prison in Lorain County.
Europe
Health
Overcrowding
Violence
United Kingdom
The data, covering April 2024 to March 2025, shows that nearly half (49.6%) of prisons in England and Wales were rated as a concern or serious concern for overall performance.
Central America and the Caribbean
Health
Violence
Mexico
Authorities in the Mexican state of Veracruz said they have restored order in a prison where seven incarcerated people were killed and 11 were injured in a riot that broke out.
Crises
Middle East
Discipline
Violence
Iran
Guards at Qezelhesar Prison in Karaj violently raided the political prisoners’ ward and executed two people, according to social media reports from a political prisoner.
Central America and the Caribbean
Foreign prisoners
Health
Torture
Violence
Social ties
El Salvador
Venezuela has announced an investigation into claims migrants sent to a prison in El Salvador from the US suffered human rights abuses.
Europe
Mental health
Suicide
Overcrowding
Violence
Netherlands
A recent investigation among 350 employees working directly with people in prison in the Dutch prison system reveals widespread violence and high work pressure, prompting concerns about staff retention.
Crises
Pre-trial detention
Minors
Middle East
Torture
Violence
Israel
Israeli prisons are a key element of the colonisation mechanism of the Palestinian people. A roundtable on this topic was held at the Assises pour la Palestine in April 2025, with the participation of Prison Insider. Read the highlights of this discussion.
Africa
Crises
Access to legal rights
Death penalty
Violence
Social ties
Congo - Kinshasa
The DRC has experienced a major political and economic crisis for decades, coupled with a civil war. What are the implications for detention? The League of Voluntary Sacrifices for Human Rights and the Environment (Ligue des Sacrifices Volontaires pour les Droits Humains et l’Environnement) answers…
Asia
Discipline
Health
Torture
Violence
Myanmar (Burma)
Since his transfer to Obo Prison in Mandalay last month, prominent anti-coup protest leader Wai Moe Aung has suffered brutal mistreatment and been deprived of medical attention by prison authorities, according to the Political Prisoners Network-Myanmar (PPNM).
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.
Crises
Asia
Violence
Myanmar (Burma)
Around 200 political prisoners, including prominent Monywa protest leader Wai Moe Naing, have been transferred from Monywa Prison to undisclosed locations, according to the Political Prisoners Network-Myanmar (PPNM) and the Monywa People’s Strike Steering Committee.
Culture
Europe
Health
Material conditions
Violence
Activities
Portugal
In a statement, the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP) said that “all inmates are participating in regular meal schedules,” after a group of 30 incarcerated people began a protest to demand better conditions in the prison.
Zimbabwe: prison cells meant for 35 imprisoned people now holding over 80, Zimbabwe rights body says
News
Africa
Culture
Access to legal rights
Health
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Violence
Social ties
Zimbabwe
Prison cells meant to hold 35 imprisoned people are now crammed with more than 80 people at Harare Remand Prison, where broken phone lines have cut off imprisoned people from families and two university students were barred from writing exams while in custody.