Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

January 25, 2022

France: "I don’t believe in powerlessness"

Interview

Coronavirus Pre-trial detention Minors Mental health Material conditions Overcrowding France

The Controller-General for Places of Deprivation of Liberty feels ‘useful everywhere’. One year after taking office, Dominique Simonnot responds to our questions in a candid interview.

January 18, 2022

Years in the Row

Analysis Thematic paper

Africa Women Asia Europe Minors Foreign prisoners Discipline Health Mental health Drugs Material conditions Overcrowding Death penalty Torture

Some people fear death every morning. Others are sentenced to death in countries that no longer carry out executions. At least 483 executions were documented in 2020. Prison Insider publishes an overview of practices in nine countries that have not abolished the death penalty.

January 17, 2022

Comoros: “The walls are crumbling by themselves”

Testimonial

Africa Minors Overcrowding Violence Comoros

Chamoun was incarcerated at Moroni Prison in Comoros. He tells us about the dilapidation, the starvation, the debauchery, and the violence.

December 23, 2021

Burundi : l’incendie d’une prison fait 38 morts et 69 blessés parmi les détenus

News

Africa Facilities Overcrowding Burundi

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

December 22, 2021

Danemark : Pourquoi le pays veut envoyer 300 détenus dans une prison du Kosovo

News

Europe Justice Overcrowding Denmark

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

December 14, 2021

How Europe’s prisons have fared in the Covid-19 pandemic

Analysis

Coronavirus Europe Health Overcrowding

Prisons make fertile breeding grounds for viruses, yet administrations have revealed little about Covid-19 cases, deaths and vaccinations in Europe’s prisons. Data from 32 countries show the pandemic’s impact on prisons

December 9, 2021

Europa ha conseguido evitar el desastre del covid en las cárceles, pero ¿a qué precio?

News

Coronavirus Europe Overcrowding

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

December 2, 2021

France: place for security

Interview

Europe Justice Material conditions Overcrowding France

The increase in resources allocated to the prison administration is mainly focused on creating new prison places, to the detriment of reintegration. Organisations are outraged by this.

November 23, 2021

DRC: Lack of Access to Healthcare

Report

Africa Health Material conditions Suicide Overcrowding Congo - Kinshasa

The Congolese Prison Observatory published a report in December 2019. It reported six deaths and one suicide attempt that year within this prison.

November 19, 2021

Myanmar : Insein, le visage carcéral de la junte birmane

News

Asia Foreign prisoners Material conditions Overcrowding Myanmar (Burma)

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

October 25, 2021

Rejection of LGBTQI+ people in Burkina Faso

Testimonial

Africa Pre-trial detention LGBTQI Material conditions Overcrowding Violence Burkina Faso

Karel tells us about detention conditions in Ouagadougou’s central police station and the treatment of incarcerated LGBTQI+ individuals.

October 18, 2021

France: for moral sociology in prison

Interview

Europe Material conditions Overcrowding Violence Rehabilitation France

How can we consider prison critique? What tools can be used to adapt the role of prisons and the meaning of sentences? Is there hope for a successful outcome?

October 14, 2021

Los 6 países de América Latina y el Caribe donde la cantidad de presos duplica, triplica y hasta cuadriplica la capacidad de las cárceles

News

Central America and the Caribbean South America Overcrowding

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

October 12, 2021

Congo kinshasa : Nord-Kivu, 17 détenus libérés de la prison centrale de Butembo

News

Africa Overcrowding Congo - Kinshasa

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

October 7, 2021

Global Prison Trends 2021

Report

Africa Coronavirus Women Asia Europe Minors Middle East Oceania Health Material conditions Overcrowding Death penalty

More than eleven million people are imprisoned around the world. Of this number, 70% are awaiting trial, a percentage that has been continuously increasing since 2000.

September 28, 2021

Malta: when it comes to prison, the statistics are very telling

News

Europe Material conditions Overcrowding Malta

Statistics are very telling. In Malta the rate of recidivism (people who commit crimes upon release and end up in prison again) is at around 70 per cent, if not more.

September 27, 2021

Global prison crisis

Interview

Africa Coronavirus Crises Asia Europe Middle East Oceania Overcrowding

The world prison population is still increasing. How does the COVID-19 crisis differ from other ongoing or future crises? Are prison environments doomed to be in perpetual crisis?

September 27, 2021

Belgium: regular crisis and health crisis

Interview

Coronavirus Crises Europe Health Overcrowding Belgium

Belgian prisons, already criticised for their dilapidation and incarceration conditions, have been closed off since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. What measures have been taken to deal with the health crisis?

August 5, 2021

Iran: Human Rights Watch calls for release of Iranian prisoners as COVID-19 crisis worsens

News

Coronavirus Middle East Health Overcrowding Iran

Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned on Tuesday of the dangerous situation faced by prisoners in Iran as the COVID-19 crisis deepens in the country, calling on authorities in the Islamic Republic to “unconditionally” release prisoners detained for peaceful dissent. “Iran’s prison authorities should unco…

July 27, 2021

Equateur : le pays déclare "l'état d'urgence" dans ses prisons

News

South America Protest Overcrowding Violence Ecuador

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

July 27, 2021

Argentina: ratas, comida podrida y heridos de “guerra”: las imágenes del abandono en las cárceles de la provincia de Buenos Aires

News

South America Health Material conditions Overcrowding Torture Violence Argentina

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

June 23, 2021

Brazil: the vital work of the Public Defenders’ Office in a public health crisis

Analysis Opinion

Coronavirus South America Overcrowding Brazil

ICPR and Prison Insider asked several experts worldwide to share their insights in the framework of the project ‘Understanding and reducing the use of imprisonment in 10 countries’. Patrick Cacicedo is a Public Defender based in São Paulo.Patrick holds a PhD from the University of São Paulo (USP),…

June 22, 2021

Africa: informal governance and healthcare access in prison

Analysis Opinion

Africa Discipline Health Mental health Material conditions Facilities Overcrowding

ICPR and Prison Insider asked several experts worldwide to share their insights in the framework of the project ‘Understanding and reducing the use of imprisonment in 10 countries’. Carole Berrih, a lawyer specialising in public law, focuses on the role of prisoners in the maintenance of order in N…

June 21, 2021

Madagascar : The right to health must not be "forgotten behind bars"

Analysis Opinion

Access to legal rights Health Mental health Overcrowding Madagascar

ICPR and Prison Insider asked several experts worldwide to share their insights in the framework of the project ‘Understanding and reducing the use of imprisonment in 10 countries’. Tamara Léger draws on her previous research experience to highlight the severe impact of prison overcrowding on healt…