Justice

April 27, 2023

Ireland: Irish Prison Service confirms overcrowding issues

News

Europe Justice Material conditions Overcrowding Ireland

As of Friday, 167 prisoners were sleeping on mattresses on the floor, with half of them in Dublin’s Mountjoy Prison. One prisoner, who had just been released from Mountjoy last Thursday, said it was overcrowded.“It’s packed in there. It’s all double cells and all that, the place is wrecked …it’s ag…

Source — RTE

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April 27, 2023

India: central government to release special scheme to help poor inmates to pay for bail, leave prison

News

Asia Justice India

The MHA has been contributing financially to the State Government’s efforts to upgrade and modernise the jail security infrastructure.

Source — DNA

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April 20, 2023

Belgium: "a key voice"

Interview

Europe Justice Health Material conditions Overcrowding Belgium

Marc Nève is a lawyer and President of the Central Prison Monitoring Council in Belgium. He sat down with us to discuss the work of the Council, as well as the main issues facing the Belgian prison system today. Interview. Read more

April 3, 2023

Australia: South Australia home detention instead of jail saves $200m

News

Oceania Justice Australia

The study by the Social Policy Centre, University of New South Wales, Griffith University and Epoque Consulting found the state government saved $148.7 million between 2016 and 2022 by diverting offenders out of prison and into supervised home detention. Researchers found the government saved an es…

Source — In Daily

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April 3, 2023

Pakistan: HRW report overcrowded prisons highlights abuses

News

Middle East Justice Health Overcrowding Pakistan

A prominent rights group has raised alarm over Pakistan’s overcrowded prisons and called for reforms to the country’s criminal justice system. In a report released on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Pakistan’s more than 100 jails had at least 88,000 inmates, against the officially approved…

Source — Al Jazeera

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March 16, 2023

Bosnia: Commuting a prison sentence into a fine is possible in Republika Srpska

News

Europe Justice Bosnia & Herzegovina

The draft amendments to the Criminal Code of the Republika Srpska (RS), which stipulates that a prison sentence of up to one year can be paid off by anyone, if they wish, instead of it being decided by a court, should be presented to the members of the National Assembly of RS (NARS) at the next ses…

Source — Sarajevo Times

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March 16, 2023

Australia: Queensland judge to receive apology after department refused to detail confinement of boy

News

Minors Oceania Justice Australia

The public servant in charge of Queensland’s youth detention system has apologised for a government department’s refusal to provide the children’s court with information related to the prolonged solitary confinement of a boy, 13, with developmental disorders. The judgment, reported by Guardian Aust…

Source — The Guardian

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February 22, 2023

Nicaragua: The country frees hundreds of political prisoners to the United States

News

Central America and the Caribbean Justice Nicaragua

Nicaragua released 222 political prisoners, including an American citizen, in a deal negotiated with Washington that marks one of the biggest prisoner releases ever involving the United States, according to senior Biden administration officials. The Nicaraguan government, which sought nothing in re…

Source — The New York Times

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February 22, 2023

Turkey: Families call on ministry for conditional release of prisoners in provinces hit by earthquake

News

Middle East Justice Material conditions Turkey

The families of prisoners held in the provinces of southeastern Turkey hit by a deadly February 6 earthquake have called on the Ministry of Justice for the conditional release of their family members, the Gazete Duvar news website reported. Haluk Çavuşoğlu, chairman of the Fair Life Association, fo…

Source — Stockholm Center for Freedom

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February 3, 2023

France: "a change of tactics"

Interview

Europe Justice Material conditions Facilities Overcrowding Alternatives France

In 2020, the French government was found to have violated the European Convention on Human Rights, due to demeaning detention conditions in French prisons. What is the state of affairs today? The National Human Rights Advisory Commission speaks on the issue. Read more

January 24, 2023

Netherlands: Ultra-secure prison to get its own courtroom

News

Europe Justice Facilities Netherlands

Judges there will be able to handle the sessions of criminal cases, reducing the need to transfer detainees to courthouses elsewhere in the Netherlands. The small courtroom within the walls of the penitentiary will cost 15 million euros and is already under construction, wrote Legal Protection Mini…

Source — NL Times

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January 24, 2023

Egypt: 22 minors sentenced to lengthy prison terms

News

Minors Middle East Justice Egypt

An Egyptian court on Sunday sentenced 22 children to lengthy prison sentences ranging between five and 15 years over rare anti-government protests that took place across the country four years ago. The charges brought against the defendants included posting videos on YouTube calling for the protest…

Source — Middle East Eye

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January 11, 2023

India: Delhi HC says undertrial prisoners can’t be detained in custody for an indefinite period

News

Asia Justice India

While hearing a bail plea of a man incarcerated for two years in a cheating case, the Delhi High Court recently held that in cases where speedy trial does not seem like a possibility, “undertrial prisoners cannot be detained in custody for an indefinite period”. A single-judge bench of Justice Amit…

Source — The Indian Express

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December 8, 2022

Luxembourg: Third prison inaugurated

News

Europe Justice Luxembourg

The ‘Uerschterhaff’ prison was inaugurated with great pomp and ceremony on Wednesday. The Grand Duke, the Ministers of Justice and Public Works, the Mayor of the municipality and the Director of the Prison Administration attended the event. The facility in Sanem is to be used primarily to separate…

Source — RTL Today

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December 8, 2022

Colombia: El Ministerio de Justicia anuncia un plan para reformar el sistema penitenciario en 2023

News

South America Justice Colombia

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

December 1, 2022

Mujeres en prisión: una población vulnerable

News

Women Europe Justice Spain

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

December 1, 2022

Argentina: El Gobierno respondió al informe sobre la situación de los detenidos en comisarías

News

South America Justice Argentina

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

November 29, 2022

Argentina: el papa Francisco criticó “el deterioro de las condiciones de detención”

News

South America Access to legal rights Justice Argentina

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

November 29, 2022

Argentina: debate por mejorar las condiciones en cárceles y alcaidías bonaerenses

News

South America Access to legal rights Justice Argentina

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

November 29, 2022

Argentina: elaboración de un informe sobre las condiciones de detención en Entre Ríos

News

South America Access to legal rights Justice Argentina

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

November 28, 2022

India: prisoners on life term can be freed after 14 years

News

Asia Justice India

The Pushkar Singh Dhami-led state cabinet on Monday gave its approval to a home (prison) department proposal that recommends release of prisoners serving life imprisonment after completing a 14 years’ jail term on the grounds of good conduct.

Source — The Times of India

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November 7, 2022

France: in search of freedom

Insights Focus

Europe Justice Rehabilitation France

Kevin Dubost is a photographer and social worker who led the project “À traversé” between 2019 and 2021: a series of photographs capturing the moments when people being released from prison experienced freedom. He describes one of his photographs. Read more

November 7, 2022

Narratives of mass incarceration around the globe

Interview

Africa Culture Asia Europe Middle East Access to legal rights Justice Health Drugs Overcrowding Rehabilitation

Dr. Dreisinger is the founder of the Incarceration Nations Network (INN), an international community that works to support, instigate and popularize prison reform efforts around the world. Prison Insider met her in Lyon during a joint screening of the docuseries. We asked her three questions in a v… Read more

October 3, 2022

Brazil: voting rights are flouted

Opinion

Pre-trial detention South America Justice Brazil

Brazil, 2022, electoral year. The law provides that prisoners in pre-trial detention are allowed to vote. There is an ongoing legal battle for the right to vote for people in pre-trial detention. Read more