Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

September 14, 2020

United Kingdom: teenage killers could spend rest of their lives in prison after "life means life" shake-up

News

Europe Minors Justice United Kingdom

The government is planning to lower the age at which murderers can be jailed for life without parole from 21 to 18.

September 14, 2020

United States: can Kentucky keep charging prisoners for their jail stay if they are found not guilty?

News

North America Justice United States

Kentucky State law allows county jails to charge prisoners a daily fee during their stay while fighting their case. But what happens when the person is found not guilty of the charges and gets released? According to a February 14, 2020 ruling by the Kentucky Court of Appeals, even if the state thro…

September 14, 2020

Prisons and jails are rolling back free phone and video calls. They should be extending them instead

News

Coronavirus North America Social ties United States

Amidst a pandemic and recession, policymakers should be fighting for extended — if not permanent — financial relief for incarcerated people and their families.

September 14, 2020

United States: Missouri attorney general's office pushes to keep innocent people in prison

News

North America Justice United States

Its decades-long commitment to upholding convictions—even those marred by police or prosecutorial misconduct—has left Missourians languishing in prison for years.

September 14, 2020

Mapping the 'Blind Spots'

Interview

Africa North America Women Asia Death penalty

What are maps for? How are they produced?

September 14, 2020

France : à quand un nouveau contrôleur général des lieux de privation de liberté ?

News

Europe Access to legal rights Justice France

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

September 13, 2020

Prison Insider in 2019

Activity report

Women Access to legal rights Mental health Death penalty

Prison Insider aims to gather and provide publicly useful information on the state of prisons and detention conditions across the world. Take a look at the activities carried out in 2019 by leafing through our activity report.

September 9, 2020

Africa: the impossible confinement

Interview

Africa Coronavirus Crises Health Material conditions

In Africa, the COVID-19 epidemic is evolving differently compared to Europe or America. Is the lockdown a solution to the spread of the epidemic?

September 8, 2020

Brazil: disregard for life

Interview

Coronavirus South America Health Violence Brazil

With more than 700,000 prisoners, the ailing prison system has been thrown into turmoil by the ongoing political disorder and the health crisis caused by Covid-19. What is the future for prisons in Brazil, and what are the main challenges at present?

September 7, 2020

Tunisia: prisons reforms through international influence

Interview

Africa Access to legal rights Justice Protest Rehabilitation Tunisia

Better conditions of imprisonment, effective prison administration and security: a new face for Tunisian prisons. Yasmine Bouagga, sociologist, answers our questions.

September 7, 2020

Brazil: drugs, walls and being a woman

Interview

Women Access to legal rights Drugs Brazil

Ranked as the world’s third-highest prison population, its number of imprisoned women is rising increasingly.

September 2, 2020

Thailand bets on prisons to boost tourism

News

Coronavirus Asia Facilities Thailand

Thailand plans to turn about half its prisons into tourist attractions to boost visitor numbers as the Southeast Asian nation struggles to recover from an economic slump caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

July 30, 2020

France: punaises de lit, moisissures, surpopulation, le calvaire à la prison de Perpignan

News

Coronavirus Europe Health Material conditions France

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

July 30, 2020

European Prison Rules: “progressing the conversation”

Interview

Europe Discipline Justice Material conditions Torture

All prison conditions across Europe are not equivalent. However, the European Prison Rules formulate guidelines to ensure the protection of prisoners’ rights. Are these rules respected? What does their recent revision imply?

July 29, 2020

Colombia: Corte Constitucional avala sin muchos cambios el decreto de cárceles

News

South America Access to legal rights Justice Colombia

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

July 29, 2020

Spain: la realidad de las cárceles en la pandemia, cuando los datos esconden la verdad

News

Coronavirus Europe Spain

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

July 29, 2020

Colombia: denuncian falta de médicos y más coronavirus en cárceles

News

Coronavirus South America Health Colombia

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

July 29, 2020

Cambodia: ONG exigen que cumpla su promesa de liberar a 10.000 presos

News

Coronavirus Asia Health Overcrowding Cambodia

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

July 29, 2020

Costa Rica: Justicia confirma tres casos más del virus en cárceles

News

Coronavirus Central America and the Caribbean Health Costa Rica

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

July 29, 2020

États-Unis: People are dying in prisons, and not just from COVID-19

News Analysis

Coronavirus North America Access to legal rights United States

Randall Jordan-Aparo, Darren Rainey and Latandra Ellington are not household names. But like Michael Brown, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, they were killed by law enforcement officers.

July 29, 2020

France : Lutte contre le terrorisme, les bons et mauvais points de la Cour des comptes pour la justice

News

Europe Justice France

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

July 29, 2020

Australia: Hepatitis C outbreak ignites debate on needle exchange in Queensland correctional centres

News

Oceania Health Drugs Australia

Pressure is mounting on the Queensland Government to implement Needle and Syringe Programs (NSPs) in the state’s correctional centres amid an outbreak of hepatitis C at a Far North Queensland prison.

July 29, 2020

Bolivia: inmates at prison stage uprising over lack of medical services amid suspected coronavirus deaths

News

Coronavirus South America Access to legal rights Health Protest Bolivia

Inmates at a prison in central Bolivia staged a rooftop protest Monday, demanding medical services after the deaths of three inmates, including one suspected of having the novel coronavirus.

July 29, 2020

USA: prison population falls sharply as pandemic disrupts justice system

News

Coronavirus North America Justice United States

State and federal head counts have dropped 8%, largely because prisons are not accepting new inmates and many courts are closed.