Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

April 21, 2022

Iran : des détenus malades qu’on abandonne

News

Middle East Health Material conditions Iran

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

March 23, 2022

Chile: Corte Suprema ratifica exigencia de médico/a las 24 horas en la Cárcel de Mujeres de San Miguel

News

South America Women Health Chile

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

March 23, 2022

Bolivia: Buses médicos parquearán en cárceles y hogares

News

South America Health Bolivia

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

March 7, 2022

Switzerland: the role of forensic psychiatric expertise

Interview

Europe Access to legal rights Justice Health Mental health Switzerland

Psychiatric expertise has grown in the last few years, especially in assessing recidivism risk. Can risk really be predicted? Interview.

February 24, 2022

France: Psychiatry at the service of security

Interview

Europe Health Mental health Suicide France

Fresnes, Fleury-Mérogis, la Santé: for 25 years, Cyrille Canetti witnessed the shift of prison psychiatry. (Critical) interview about psychiatry and prison.

February 24, 2022

Ukraine: The prison population should be included in evacuation plans

News

Europe Justice Health Violence Ukraine

A Ukrainian organisation defending human rights shares its concerns regarding the situation of prisoners.

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 6, 2022

Austria: Final destination, Göllersdorf

Investigations

Coronavirus Europe Health Mental health Social ties Rehabilitation Austria

In a tiny village in Lower Austria lies one of the country’s “special institutions for mentally abnormal, unsound offenders”. Journalist Sarah Yolanda Koss dives into the everyday life of those imprisoned in the Göllersdorfer castle.

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

El Salvador es responsable por la detención, condena y muerte de una mujer que sufrió una emergencia obstétrica

News

Central America and the Caribbean Women Health El Salvador

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

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 22, 2021

Myanmar: In Myanmar’s Insein Prison, inmates shared bath water and were denied medical care

News

Coronavirus Asia Health Material conditions Myanmar (Burma)

Former detainee says dismal conditions led to rare protest by prisoners and lingering trauma after release.

October 29, 2021

Roland: “Great. This again.”

Testimonial

Coronavirus Health Facilities Rehabilitation France

Roland was imprisoned for a total of 28 years. Is the lockdown a second imprisonment? Prison Insider has brought out six narratives of former prisoners. Six perspectives on the lockdown and imprisonment.

October 29, 2021

Emilio: “You can still go out.”

Testimonial

Coronavirus Health Facilities France

Emilio was imprisoned for 15 months. Is the lockdown a second imprisonment? Prison Insider has brought out six narratives of former prisoners. Six perspectives on the lockdown and imprisonment.

October 29, 2021

Clément: “My door wasn’t locked from the outside.”

Testimonial

Coronavirus Health Facilities France

Clément was imprisoned for 11 years. Is the lockdown a second imprisonment? Prison Insider has brought out six narratives of former prisoners. Six perspectives on the lockdown and imprisonment.

October 29, 2021

Stéphane: “I learned to live alone.”

Testimonial

Coronavirus Health Facilities France

Stéphane was imprisoned for 9 years. Is the lockdown a second imprisonment? Prison Insider has brought out six narratives of former prisoners. Six perspectives on the lockdown and imprisonment.

October 29, 2021

Éric: “It was nothing like imprisonment.”

Testimonial

Coronavirus Health Facilities France

Éric was imprisoned for 19 years. Is the lockdown a second imprisonment? Prison Insider has brought out six narratives of former prisoners. Six perspectives on the lockdown and imprisonment.

October 29, 2021

Thierry: “I was never alone in prison.”

Testimonial

Coronavirus Health Facilities France

Thiérry was imprisoned for 10 years. Is the lockdown a second imprisonment? Prison Insider has brought out six narratives of former prisoners. Six perspectives on the lockdown and imprisonment.

October 15, 2021

Solitary confinement, COVID-19 and mental health impacts

Coronavirus Discipline Health Mental health

Dr Sharon Shalev, an international expert on the use and consequences of solitary confinement and Nuno Pontes, an expert on incarceration and related human rights issues, discuss the solitary confinement and its mental health impacts.

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

Venezuela: reo muere de tuberculosis en cárcel

News

South America Health Material conditions Venezuela

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

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?

September 13, 2021

Prison Insider in 2020

Activity report

Coronavirus Health

Stunned, frightened, confined and restricted, the global population had no choice but to face the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The virus has not stopped at the prison doors. Take a look at the activities carried out in 2020 by leafing through our activity report.

August 6, 2021

Iraq: torture widespread in detention centers

News

Pre-trial detention Middle East Access to legal rights Health Torture Violence Iraq

The United Nations accused the government of Iraq of the widespread torture of detainees held in the country’s detention centers. A U.N. report covers conditions in the centers from July 1, 2019 to April 30, 2021.