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January 12, 2024

Belgium: diverging pathways

Interview

Europe Material conditions Facilities Overcrowding Alternatives Belgium

In recent years, authorities have followed a policy of constructing new ‘mega-prisons’. At the same time, the prison estate has welcomed the creation of smaller facilities. The simultaneous development of these opposing approaches raises a number of questions.

December 31, 2023

United Kingdom: trainee prison officers "encouraged to be more violent"

News

Europe Discipline Violence United Kingdom

Female graduate trainee prison officers have described a toxic and sexist culture where they were encouraged to be more violent as new figures show one in three on the scheme drop out.

December 15, 2023

United Kingdom: "Ban on short sentences" will free up fewer than 1,000 prison places

News

Europe Justice Overcrowding United Kingdom

A reform which will see short sentences served in the community rather than in custody will have only a small impact on the prison capacity crisis, the Government has admitted.

December 8, 2023

Germany: Justice Department plans more suicide prevention

News

Europe Mental health Suicide Germany

The Berlin Senate Department for Justice wants to reduce the risk of suicide among prison inmates and create special detention rooms for this purpose.

December 3, 2023

Malta: prison facility is on a “very good” track forward

News

Europe Material conditions Facilities Malta

Compared to the Corradino Correctional Facility of 15 years ago, Prisoner Welfare Commissioner Steve Libreri said that there has been a “considerable” improvement in supportive services, the prison environment, as well as a change in the culture of correctional officers, leading to a prison facilit…

November 17, 2023

United Kingdom: inspectors find squalid conditions, spiralling self-harm and violence at Bedford Prison

News

Europe Mental health Material conditions Violence United Kingdom

HM Inspector of Prisons says that conditions at HMP Bedford have deteriorated so sharply that they’ve had to issue an urgent notification for improvement.

November 16, 2023

United Kingdom: poor support for rehabilitation may cause prison leavers to reoffend

News

Europe Rehabilitation United Kingdom

A report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has found a significant decline in the quality of support given to prison leavers, which is predicted to increase the likelihood that prisoners will reoffend once released.

November 15, 2023

Scotland: “You go to prison as punishment, not to be punished”

Interview

Women Europe Mental health Material conditions Facilities Rehabilitation United Kingdom

In 2022, a new type of detention facility was introduced into the Scottish prison system: Community Custody Units (CCUs). Through trauma informed principles, their aim is to empower women to manage their sentence plans and support their community integration. Interview.

November 14, 2023

Norway: a case for a rehabilitation oriented prison system

News

Europe Rehabilitation Norway

Should incarceration primarily serve as a means of punishment or an opportunity for rehabilitation? The conventional approach in many countries has been to focus on punitive measures in the belief that harsh sentences act as a deterrent to crime. However, Norway’s experiment with a rehabilitation-o…

November 14, 2023

Croatia: the country ordered to compensate ex-prisoner for poor jail conditions

News

Europe Justice Material conditions Croatia

The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Croatia must pay 15,000 euros in compensation to Zoran Vukusic because he was kept in inhumane conditions in secure prison cells.

October 26, 2023

France: immersed in a prison cell

Testimonial

Culture Europe Material conditions France

In 2016, Djibril Siby penned My Life in Prison, a play in which he shares his experience of life in detention. The success of the play has inspired Siby to return to the stage today. Testimonial.

October 25, 2023

United Kingdom: cells without toilets persist despite "slopping out" law

News

Europe Health Material conditions United Kingdom

Prisoners in some facilities forced to defecate in buckets overnight, a practice outlawed in 1996.

October 10, 2023

Europe: EU and Council of Europe reaffirm their opposition to capital punishment

News

Europe Death penalty

The European Union and the Council of Europe strongly reaffirm their unequivocal opposition to the death penalty “in all cases and in all circumstances”, including any reintroduction of it, on the European and World Day against the Death Penalty, celebrated on 10 October.

October 9, 2023

United Kingdom: prison fails on inmate living conditions

News

Europe Material conditions Work United Kingdom

Dartmoor Prison is failing to provide adequate living conditions, education and work opportunities for its inmates, says an inspectors’ report.

October 6, 2023

United Kingdom: over 100,000 children have parent in prison

News

Europe Social ties United Kingdom

Record comes as Estonia confirms it is in talks with UK over plans to accept British prisoners amid overcrowding crisis

September 29, 2023

United Kingdom: prisoners sleeping on matresses "wedged next to lavatories" due to overcrowding

News

Europe Material conditions Overcrowding United Kingdom

Inspector criticises “degrading” conditions in prisons in correspondence to Government

September 20, 2023

France: "every time, we had to start over"

Testimonial

Europe Social ties France

Franck was incarcerated twice. He shares with Prison Insider how he experienced his two stints in prison, the impact they had on his wife and children, and the importance of communication in preserving family ties.

September 18, 2023

United Kingdom: staff shortages an issue amid ‘deeply worrying’ prison deaths in England

News

Europe Mental health Suicide United Kingdom

Inquests flag up gaps in the care of prisoners in relation to at least nine deaths in custody since 2021.

September 18, 2023

United Kingdom: indefinite sentences should be suicide risk factor, says prisons watchdog

News

Europe Long-term prisoners Mental health Suicide United Kingdom

Nine self-inflicted deaths of prisoners serving IPP sentences in 2022 was highest number since controversial introduction.

September 18, 2023

United Kingdom: HMP Wakefield, calls for action over conditions at city’s high security jail

News

Europe Material conditions United Kingdom

Urgent action has been demanded over conditions at Wakefield’s high-security jail

September 13, 2023

Belgium: intersecting approaches

Interview

Europe Material conditions Facilities Rehabilitation Belgium

Hoogstraten Penitentiary School Centre (PSC) is an open prison operating in a 19th century castle. Kortrijk detention house is a small-scale facility located in an urban environment. Prison Insider examines their similarities and differences.

September 11, 2023

Finland: these prisoners are training AI

News

Europe Work Finland

In high-wage Finland, where clickworkers are rare, one company has discovered a novel labor force-prisoners.

September 7, 2023

Can prisons be changed?

Interview

Europe Discipline Material conditions

Respect modules, an approach that originated in Spain, and dynamic security approaches aim to improve relationships in prison settings. However, their implementation encounters certain limitations. Valérie Icard, an associate researcher at CESDIP, focuses on these questions. Interview.

September 6, 2023

Europe: "but think of your children!"

Interview

Women Europe Activities Social ties Rehabilitation

The approach to maintaining family ties differs depending on prisoners’ gender. Maternity is often seen as central when it comes to women’s reintegration. For better or for worse? Ariane Amado answered our questions.