Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

February 24, 2021

New Zealand: treatment at Auckland women's prison 'degrading' and 'inhumane' - judge

News

Women Oceania Access to legal rights Justice Material conditions Violence New Zealand

Auckland Women’s Prison treated inmates in a “degrading,” “cruel” and “inhumane” manner in a “concerted effort to break their spirit,” according to a stinging ruling from a district court judge.

February 24, 2021

India: misgendering, sexual violence, what it is to be a transgender in a prison

News

Asia LGBTQI Violence India

The Wire’s Sukanya finds how the transgender community faced physical and sexual violence in Indian prisons, and their complaints overlooked by the authorities.

February 18, 2021

Ireland: prison service and HSE seek to put new supports in place to reduce self-harm in prisons

News

Europe Health Ireland

The National Office for Suicide Prevention and the Irish Prison Service want to implement new support services to address self-harming and suicidal behaviour in the country’s jails.

February 18, 2021

Ireland: €3.7m spent on medicine for prison inmates over the last two years

News

Europe Health Drugs Ireland

More than €3.7m has been spent by the Irish Prison Service on medications for inmates over the past two years. The bill at a single prison can be in excess of €50,000 a month, according to the data, with costs highest at the Midlands Prison in Co Laois. The Irish Prison Service said many of those s…

February 18, 2021

Ireland: prison service insists it is effectively dealing with potential crowding issues

News

Coronavirus Europe Overcrowding Ireland

The number of prisoners has been rising as more remand court cases and more trials are taking place.

February 15, 2021

India: after 70 years, Rajasthan amends prison manual that sanctioned caste-based labour

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Culture Asia Access to legal rights Justice Activities Religion India

The move comes nearly two months after The Wire’s report had exposed conditions of institutionalised casteism in prisons of Rajasthan and several other states in India.

February 15, 2021

Russia: human rights activists have spent 30 years fighting for better privacy and cleaner facilities, but ‘holes in the floor’ persist

News

Asia Access to legal rights Material conditions Protest Russia

In recent weeks, the Russian authorities arrested thousands of demonstrators at protests across the country, sentencing hundreds to several days or weeks in jail. For many of these people, behind bars for the first time in their lives, state custody was a uniquely upsetting experience — particularl…

February 15, 2021

Algérie : des ONG se mobilisent contre la torture et les conditions de détention

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Africa Pre-trial detention Access to legal rights Justice Protest Torture Violence Algeria

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

February 15, 2021

Arabia Saudí: la conmutación de la pena de muerte impuesta a tres activistas chiíes detenidos cuando eran adolescentes, un avance positivo

News

Minors Middle East Justice Death penalty Saudi Arabia

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

February 15, 2021

España: ”es injusto y desproporcionado que Pablo Hasél entre en la cárcel”

News

Europe Access to legal rights Justice Spain

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

February 15, 2021

Pakistán: una sentencia del Tribunal Supremo prohíbe las ejecuciones de personas con discapacidad mental

News

Asia Access to legal rights Justice Mental health Death penalty Pakistan

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

February 15, 2021

Rusia: liberen a Aleksei Navalny, envenenado, detenido y condenado injustamente

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Asia Access to legal rights Justice Material conditions Torture Violence Russia

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

February 15, 2021

Arabia Saudí: la liberación de la defensora de los derechos de las mujeres Loujain al Hathloul llega con mucho retraso

News

Women Middle East Access to legal rights Torture Violence Saudi Arabia

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

February 12, 2021

Chile: interno de cárcel de La Serena se suicida tras acosos de gendarmes por su orientación sexual

News

South America LGBTQI Access to legal rights Torture Violence Chile

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

February 12, 2021

Chile: siguen los abusos en gendarmería, ahora torturan a interna trans en cárcel de Arica

News

South America LGBTQI Access to legal rights Torture Violence Chile

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

February 12, 2021

Iran : huit prisonniers baloutches et arabes ahwazis sont en danger, dans un contexte de hausse inquiétante des exécutions

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Middle East Death penalty Torture Violence Religion Iran

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

February 12, 2021

Russia: number of inmates decreases

News

Asia Material conditions Overcrowding Russia

The number of convicts held in correctional system facilities has decreased in Russia up to 482,000 people by the beginning of 2021, the Supreme Court’s head Vyacheslav Lebedev announced Tuesday. According to the highest instance’s Chairman, the number of detainees continues to decline. Last year,…

February 12, 2021

Salvador: inside a prison cell for gay former gang members

News

Culture Central America and the Caribbean LGBTQI Drugs Violence Religion El Salvador

“It was completely unheard of“. “Because in the gangs, if there’s even the suspicion that you’re gay, you pay for it with your life.”

February 10, 2021

Germany: unsuccessful constitutional complaint challenging electronic monitoring of persons released from prison (‘electronic tagging’)

News

Europe Access to legal rights Discipline Justice Germany

In an order published today, the Second Senate of the Federal Constitutional Court held that the statutory provisions on the electronic monitoring of persons released from prison are compatible with the Basic Law.

February 10, 2021

Iran: hell in south Tehran, juvenile prisoners speak out

News

Minors Middle East Access to legal rights Material conditions Violence Iran

“The situation is terrible. The water is undrinkable, the washing facilities are faulty, and bathroom breaks are rationed. There’s hot water for half an hour a day. The ward is dirty and full to bursting. A ladleful of lentils and stones, and frozen rotten sausages, is all we get to eat. There are…

February 10, 2021

Singapore: recidivism rate at all-time low, more inmates serving part of jail term in community

News

Asia Activities Alternatives Rehabilitation Work Singapore

The recidivism rate in Singapore has dipped to an all-time low and more inmates are serving part of their jail term in the community, the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) said on Wednesday (Feb 3).

February 8, 2021

Luxembourg : quelle stratégie de vaccination pour les personnes en prison?

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Coronavirus Europe Health Luxembourg

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

February 8, 2021

Afghanistan : selon l’ONU, les tortures continuent dans les prisons

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Middle East Access to legal rights Torture Violence Afghanistan

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

February 8, 2021

Guinée : "décédé de mort naturelle" un constat qui se multiplie à la prison de Conakry en Guinée

News

Africa Access to legal rights Health Material conditions Guinea

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