Material conditions

March 18, 2020

News

Coronavirus: Prison Fever

Africa Coronavirus North America Central America and the Caribbean Pre-trial detention South America Asia Europe Middle East Health Material conditions Protest Activities

What measures are taken to guarantee the safety of all prisoners and prison staff? What are the consequences of the pandemic on the living conditions in prisons? Here is an overview. — Update 30/07/20 Read more

July 30, 2020

European Prison Rules: “progressing the conversation”

Interview

Europe Discipline Justice Material conditions Torture

All prison conditions across Europe are not equivalent. However, the European Prison Rules formulate guidelines to ensure the protection of prisoners’ rights. Are these rules respected? What does their recent revision imply? Read more

July 27, 2020

USA: Inmates talk of COVID fear and helplessness after transfers bring ‘the beast’ to San Quentin

News

Coronavirus North America Health Material conditions United States

Sixty-six inmates from the coronavirus-ridden California Institution for Men were on buses in late May, headed from Chino to the prison at Corcoran where Frank Estrada was incarcerated.

Source — LA Times

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July 24, 2020

Mexico: La fallida construcción de la infraestructura penitenciaria como negocio

News

Central America and the Caribbean Material conditions Overcrowding Mexico

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

July 23, 2020

POINT de vues

Portfolio Insights

Women Europe Material conditions Facilities France

Delphine Dauphy and Marc Loyon ran photography workshops in prisons for six months. This involved visiting both Vezin-le-Coquet prison and Rennes women’s prison seven times. Every prisoner was able to take part in creating a body of images documenting their daily life. Read more

July 22, 2020

DRC: les prisons considérées comme des mouroirs

News

Africa Health Material conditions Torture Congo - Kinshasa

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

July 16, 2020

Uruguay: Operadores penitenciarios denuncian condiciones de trabajo en las cárceles

News

South America Material conditions Uruguay

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

July 15, 2020

USA: JAY-Z, Yo Gotti, and team ROC file lawsuit over Mississippi prison conditions

News

Coronavirus North America Justice Health Material conditions

The class action complaint details subpar hygiene protocols, lack of proper healthcare, and more at Mississippi State Penitentiary Parchman

Source — Traxmag

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July 15, 2020

Cuba: Humiliation non-stop

Testimonial

Central America and the Caribbean Foreign prisoners Access to legal rights Justice Health Material conditions Torture Cuba

Jacques was arrested in February 2017 by the Cuban criminal justice system and was immediately incarcerated in a state owned highly secured prison, held incommunicado for 48 days. Her daughter became fatherless overnight. He was transferred to France in September 2019. He narrates to Prison Insider his… Read more

July 8, 2020

USA: No one should have to die in prison

News

North America Long-term prisoners Health Material conditions Overcrowding United States

Every year people die in the custody of Illinois Department of Corrections, the vast majority due in part to overincarceration. COVID-19 is highlighting this fact because it is attacking the elderly and infirm, many of whom have spent decades enduring harsh prison conditions. They die lonely deaths for…

Source — Truthout

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July 6, 2020

Interview

Coronavirus South America Material conditions Protest Torture Argentina

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

July 2, 2020

South Africa: Pietermaritzburg prisoners fear Covid-19

News

Africa Coronavirus Long-term prisoners Health Material conditions Overcrowding South Africa

Inmates serving lengthy sentences for serious and violent crimes say basic regulations to combat the spread of the coronavirus are being flouted, putting their lives at risk.

Source — New Frame

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July 1, 2020

USA: Covid-19 cases at San Quentin prison surge to 1,000

News

Coronavirus North America Health Material conditions United States

The number of coronavirus cases in California’s San Quentin state prison has crossed a thousand, with more than 900 cases being diagnosed in the last two weeks alone.

Source — L'Express

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June 24, 2020

Uruguay: controlaron revuelta en la cárcel de Punta de Rieles tras requisa masiva

News

South America Material conditions Protest Uruguay

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

June 18, 2020

Global Prison Trends 2020

Report

Africa Asia Europe Middle East Oceania Material conditions Overcrowding

Over 11 million people are held in prisons worldwide. Many face substandard detention conditions. Sentences keep getting longer, in underfunded justice systems. PRI has published its annual report on the state of prisons and the use of imprisonment: Global Prison Trends 2020. Read more

June 11, 2020

Taiwan: team helps Nauruan prison to make own food

News

Asia Material conditions Work Taiwan

A Taiwanese technical mission to the Pacific island nation of Nauru is helping a penal facility improve food self-reliance and is teaching inmates skills they can use after their release, the team said yesterday. “The project, with the goal of minimizing waste, officially started in January, with a poultry…

Source — Tapei Times

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June 11, 2020

Yemen: rights group says detainees face ‘slow death’ in prison

News

Middle East Health Material conditions Yemen

The Yemeni Abductees’ Mothers Association in the city of Aden yesterday warned that the detainees in Bir Ahmed Prison are facing a “slow death” due to ill-treatment by the prison administration. The group said in a statement that the prison administration deliberately mistreats detainees by cutting off…

Source — Middle East Monitor

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June 4, 2020

Australia: aboriginal people in prison and out-of-home care suffering under 'punitive' Covid-19 restrictions

News

Coronavirus Minors Oceania Material conditions Social ties Australia

Aboriginal people in prisons are going without soap, and children in out-of-home care are being refused contact with their families under “punitive” restrictions enforced due to Covid-19, a report released on Wednesday has said. Aboriginal people are disproportionately affected by Covid-19 policy responses…

Source — The Guardian

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June 3, 2020

France: surpopulation, personnel débordé, locaux "immondes", le triste bilan des prisons françaises en 2019

News

Europe Material conditions Overcrowding Work France

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

May 27, 2020

USA: cleaning supplies are so scarce at this arizona prison, detainees are using shampoo and menstrual pads, lawsuit says

News

Coronavirus North America Health Material conditions United States

No one seems to be cleaning the phones at CoreCivic’s correctional complex in Florence, Arizona, Maria Guadalupe Lucero-Gonzalez said—so she wipes them down with wet menstrual pads before she calls her loved ones. It’s been almost a year since the 50-year-old mother of three was convicted of illegal…

Source — The Appeal

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May 20, 2020

Argentina: ¿para qué está la cárcel?

News

Coronavirus South America Women LGBTI Material conditions Overcrowding Argentina

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

May 19, 2020

Thailand: student project seeks more ‘humane’ design of Bangkok prison

News

Asia Material conditions Overcrowding Thailand

BANGKOK — A university is working with a prison to help tackle overcrowding and unhygienic conditions that have stalked the Thai corrections system for years. In a joint project by King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi and Thonburi Remand Prison, architecture students are asked to come up…

Source — Khaosod English

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May 19, 2020

Guinea: plongée dans l'enfer du camp militaire de Soronkoni

News

Africa Material conditions Violence Work Guinea

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

May 14, 2020

Colombia: E-Containers ofrece cárceles en contenedores para dar solución al hacinamiento

News

South America Material conditions Overcrowding Colombia

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