Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

March 1, 2021

China: Tibetan tour guide dies from prison injuries

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Asia Access to legal rights Justice Torture Violence China

Sentenced to 21 years for providing information to foreign media.

March 1, 2021

South Africa: investigating prison for profit

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Africa Material conditions Facilities Torture Violence South Africa

Violence has deep roots in South Africa, going back to colonial conquest and the apartheid state. Which is why those who end up in prison receive very little sympathy, and even less coverage in the national press.

March 1, 2021

Syria: the greater jail, the politics of prison

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Culture Middle East Facilities Syria

In a talk co-organized by the assassinated activist Lokman Slim, former Syrian political prisoner Yassin al-Haj Saleh argues that “the politics of prison” are central to understanding the “politicide” of the Syrian people at the Assad regime’s hands.

March 1, 2021

Ecuador: prison riots leave 79 dead, including 34 in Cuenca. Gang wars result in beheadings, dismemberments

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South America Drugs Protest Violence Ecuador

“This is a human slaughterhouse,” is how a national police captain described the scene as he entered a high security area of Cuenca’s Turi prison following tuesday’s riot. “It is the most terrible thing I have ever witnessed as a police officer.”

March 1, 2021

Ecuador: President declares state of emergency following deadly prison riots

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South America Protest Violence Ecuador

Officials in Ecuador say order has been restored at prisons in three cities, where authorities said at least 75 inmates died in riots between rival gangs. President Lenín Moreno declared the national prison system in a state of emergency and ordered stepped-up security measures.    Officials say au…

March 1, 2021

Argentina: en cumplimiento de un fallo de la CorteIDH, el SPF aprueba un nuevo protocolo de traslados de personas privadas de libertad

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South America Access to legal rights Justice Facilities Social ties Argentina

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

March 1, 2021

Venezuela: detenidos de Policarirubana piden descongestionamiento

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Coronavirus South America Health Overcrowding Venezuela

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

March 1, 2021

Venezuela: familiares de presos de Polimiranda deben llevar agua a diario para aseo y consumo

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South America Health Material conditions Venezuela

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

March 1, 2021

Irán: recluso sometido a 60 azotes y en riesgo de amputación tras intento de suicidio

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Middle East Health Mental health Torture Violence Iran

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

March 1, 2021

Bielorrusia: las autoridades atacan a menores de edad para reprimir la disidencia

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Pre-trial detention Europe Minors Protest Violence Belarus

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

March 1, 2021

Rusia: las cárceles de Moscú, colmadas de seguidores de Navalny

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Pre-trial detention Asia Access to legal rights Material conditions Protest Russia

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

March 1, 2021

Ecuador: violentos motines dejan más de 75 muertos en tres cárceles

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South America Protest Overcrowding Violence Ecuador

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

February 25, 2021

Équateur : des mutineries dans trois prisons font 79 morts

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South America Protest Violence Ecuador

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

February 24, 2021

Malaysia: stop sending MCO offenders to prison, consider other alternative measures

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Coronavirus Asia Overcrowding Alternatives Malaysia

With Malaysia already facing an impending prison overcrowding issue where close to 70,000 are currently serving jail terms for various offences across the country, lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo urged the government to stop sending movement control order (MCO) offenders to prison as it will only worsen th…

February 24, 2021

Zimbabwe: prison inmates urged to embrace Covid-19 vaccine

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Africa Coronavirus Health Zimbabwe

PRISON inmates have been encouraged to embrace the Covid-19 vaccine whose rollout programme that has been approved by the government. Zimbabwe this week received 200 000 doses of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine from China whose roll out begins today. The Vaccination programme has an overall target o…

February 24, 2021

Paraguay: six inmates die in a riot in Paraguay's main prison

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South America Protest Violence Paraguay

Paraguayan Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday reported that six inmates died during a riot in Asuncion’s Tacumbu prison, as they demanded equal rights with the rest of the country’s penitentiaries.

February 24, 2021

République démocratique du Congo : comment lutter contre la malnutrition et les maladies dans les prisons ?

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Africa Health Congo - Kinshasa

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

February 24, 2021

North Korea: orders expansion of political prison camp system

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Asia Discipline Facilities North Korea

North Korea recently enacted an “anti-reactionary thought law” and is punishing violators with heavy sentences such as hard labor and the death penalty.

February 24, 2021

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.