Overcrowding
Africa
Pre-trial detention
Overcrowding
Alternatives
Nigeria
Prison Fellowship Nigeria (PFN) has advocated the adoption of restorative justice as a critical solution to decongest correctional centres across the country.
Central America and the Caribbean
Facilities
Overcrowding
Costa Rica
Costa Rica will begin construction this year on a new maximum-security prison inspired by the El Salvador mega-prison at the center of that country’s crackdown on crime, Costa Rica’s Justice Minister Gerald Campos said.
Europe
Foreign prisoners
Overcrowding
United Kingdom
The prison population of England and Wales has jumped to the highest number in nearly a year and is nearing record levels, despite the early release of tens of thousands, official figures show.
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.
Pre-trial detention
Oceania
Health
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Social ties
Rehabilitation
Australia
Western Australia’s Inspector of Custodial Services has called for an inquiry into the “entirely unacceptable” conditions at Hakea Prison.
North America
Pre-trial detention
Health
Mental health
Material conditions
Overcrowding
United States
Twenty-eight people have died in county jails so far this year. The county’s death toll is running alongside the deadliest years on record.
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.
Pre-trial detention
Europe
Overcrowding
Malta
A Council of Europe report on prison populations flagged how Malta was one of 13 countries to see a “significant increase” in prison populations in 2024.
Concrete to counter overcrowding?
Analysis
Europe
Justice
Material conditions
Facilities
Overcrowding
Alternatives
Could building prisons help address overcrowding? Prison Insider takes apart, brick by brick, the fragile foundations of this proposition in the second article of our fact-checking series.
Africa
Material conditions
Facilities
Overcrowding
South Sudan
Yambio Central Prison, a colonial-era facility built in Western Equatoria State in the 1940s, requires urgent renovation due to deteriorating infrastructure and poor living conditions for incarcerated people, a senior prison official said.
Pre-trial detention
Europe
Material conditions
Facilities
Overcrowding
Ireland
There are 376 people in Cork prison today, a new overcrowding record and representing 127% capacity, making it the most overcrowded men’s prison in the country.
Europe
Mental health
Suicide
Overcrowding
Italy
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni looks set to send more people to jail with her law-and-order crackdown — but the country’s prisons are in no fit state to take more incarcerated people.
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.
North America
Pre-trial detention
Health
Mental health
Material conditions
Suicide
Overcrowding
Alternatives
United States
Another person has died in Los Angeles County Jails, bringing the county’s number of deaths this year to a staggering 22. LA jails have totaled 99 deaths since the start of 2023.
South America
Foreign prisoners
Material conditions
Facilities
Overcrowding
Peru
Peru is weighing sending what it considers highly dangerous foreign incarcerated people to prisons in El Salvador, the prime minister said, potentially following in the footsteps of the U.S.’ deportations of migrants to the Central American nation.
Pre-trial detention
Foreign prisoners
Overcrowding
South Africa
Within three months, 6,571 more incarcerated people occupied prisons throughout South Africa, bringing the total population to 166,924 as of December 31, 2024.
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.