Africa
Cameroon: still falling short
Interview
Africa
Access to legal rights
Justice
Death penalty
Cameroon
Access to justice is hindered. There is no mechanism to monitor prisons, and the death penalty remains part of the penal code. Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture in Cameroon is campaigning on all these fronts.
Mutineers, rebels and objectors
Analysis
Inside Outside
Africa
North America
South America
Asia
Europe
Middle East
Protest
Prison Insider, represented by Clara Grisot, contributed twelve compositions to the book InsideOutside to articulate, in a few words, the current challenges of prison life. Eighth piece: rebellion.
Africa
Elderly prisoners
Health
Overcrowding
South Sudan
Health officials in Lakes State have reported cases of chickenpox and suspected measles at Rumbek Central Prison, with 24 infections identified among incarcerated people. State Health Director General said that two elderly were severely infected, while the rest were between 25 and 30 years old.
Tunisia: relentless harassment
Testimonial
Africa
Pre-trial detention
Women
Access to legal rights
Health
Material conditions
Violence
Social ties
Tunisia
Sonia Dahmani is a lawyer who has made the defence of women’s rights her personal crusade. She was violently arrested over a comment made during a media appearance, and immediately imprisoned. Her sister, Ramla, has become her voice. This is her account.
Caught in the spiral
Thematic paper
Africa
Pre-trial detention
Asia
Access to legal rights
Justice
Drugs
Alternatives
Rehabilitation
What are the human and social costs of the recourse to imprisonment? This series explores the experiences of various civil society organisations, formerly incarcerated people, researchers and policy makers challenging the criminalisation of poverty, status or activism.
Africa
Material conditions
South Africa
The Department of Correctional Services has roped in nutrition experts to ensure that imprisoned people are fed a well-balanced meal.“These changes were carefully designed to align with dietary guidelines and ensure that the diverse dietary needs of the detained population are adequately met.”.
Women bearing the weight of the law
Analysis
Africa
North America
Central America and the Caribbean
South America
Women
Asia
Europe
LGBTQI
Oceania
Access to legal rights
Justice
Drugs
Death penalty
Violence
More and more women across the world are being imprisoned, mostly for minor, non-violent offences. What discriminatory and punitive logic is being applied? What is being done to fight back against it?
Africa
Crises
Women
Minors
Protest
Overcrowding
Violence
Congo - Kinshasa
At least 153 women are believed to have died and as many as 132 were said to have been burned to death as some 4,000 incarcerated men broke out of the Munzenze prison in Goma during an assault on the city by M23 forces.
Africa
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Activities
Work
Ghana
Speaking before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, February 25, 2025, Mr Terlabi described the current feeding arrangement, where incarcerated people receive GH¢1.80 worth of food per day as inadequate.
Africa
Foreign prisoners
Overcrowding
Social ties
Rehabilitation
Namibia
Individuals who serve their sentences in their home countries can be rehabilitated, resocialised and reintegrated into the community better than elsewhere. This was said by deputy minister of home affairs, immigration, safety and security Lucia Witbooi during a National Assembly session.
Africa
Pre-trial detention
Access to legal rights
Nigeria
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) says over 65 per cent of incarcerated people are currently awaiting trial in correctional centers across the country. Afam Osigwe, president of the NBA, revealed this at the national executive council meeting of the association in Akure.
Africa
Crises
Women
Violence
Congo - Kinshasa
Hundreds of women were raped and burned alive during the chaos after a Rwandan-backed rebel group entered the Congolese city of Goma. Women were attacked in their wing inside Goma’s Munzenze prison during a mass jailbreak, according to a senior UN official.
Africa
Women
Health
Material conditions
Social ties
Ghana
The Volta Region branch of the Power Queens of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has urged the public to contribute vigorously to the reform of convicted people by supporting them with their basic needs.
Africa
Justice
Death penalty
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe has officially abolished the death penalty following the enactment of a new law signed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Published on Tuesday, December 31, the legislation prohibits courts from issuing capital punishment sentences and commutes all existing death sentences to prison terms.
Africa
North America
Central America and the Caribbean
South America
Asia
Europe
Middle East
Justice
Health
Mental health
Material conditions
Torture
Violence
Activities
Social ties
How can the complexity of information on prison conditions be made accessible and used to support change? The Prison Life Index is the result of a multidisciplinary collaboration between academics and members of civil society.
Africa
Women
Minors
Access to legal rights
Overcrowding
Alternatives
Rehabilitation
Nigeria
Prison Fellowship Nigeria has officially launched its Restorative Justice, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration Project in Jos, the Plateau state capital. The initiative, designed to improve the criminal justice system through restorative practices, will span eight states.
Africa
Health
Material conditions
Facilities
Overcrowding
South Africa
The department of correctional services (DCS) says 66 million euros is required to refurbish the Johannesburg Sun City Prison.
The renovation project will address critical issues, including plumbing, electrical systems, and overcrowding, and will be phased across various sections of the prison.
Burying the problems
Analysis
Inside Outside
Africa
North America
South America
Asia
Europe
Middle East
Mental health
Prison Insider, represented by Clara Grisot, contributed twelve compositions to the book InsideOutside to articulate, in a few words, the current challenges of prison life. Seventh piece: mental health.
Who benefits from prison?
Analysis
Africa
Central America and the Caribbean
Europe
Justice
Overcrowding
Prison Insider hosted a workshop at this year’s edition of Concertina on the human and social cost of prison in Haiti, Tunisia, Morocco, and France. Learn more about the key points of this discussion.