Rehabilitation
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.
Europe
Overcrowding
Social ties
Alternatives
Rehabilitation
Belgium
The state of prisons - notably overcrowding, poor staff working conditions and inadequate access to support for imprisoned people - are not conducive to rehabilitation, according to a new report by the Brussels Federation of Institutions for Inmates and Former Prisoners (Fidex).
Europe
Mental health
Suicide
Overcrowding
Alternatives
Rehabilitation
Italy
There have been 24 suicides in Italy’s prisons so far this year after three imprisoned people took their own lives in jails in Avellino, Genoa and Trieste, penitentiary police union SPP said. The union said that, at this rate, last year’s record of 91 prison suicides will be broken in 2025.
Women
Europe
Material conditions
Social ties
Rehabilitation
United Kingdom
The Lilias Centre, in the Maryhill area of Glasgow, is part of a multimillion-pound experiment to tackle reoffending through rehabilitation. They give incarcerated women greater freedoms than traditional prisons and prepare them for life in the community after their sentence.
United Kingdom: report critical of prison's 'limited' support for neurodiverse incarcerated people
News
Europe
Mental health
Rehabilitation
United Kingdom
An inspection of Jersey’s only prison has led to concerns being raised about a lack of support for neurodiverse incarcerated people. The report found that while 23 people had been identified as neurodivergent, few had care plans in place, and staff awareness of how to support them was “weak”.
Europe
Mental health
Drugs
Material conditions
Suicide
Overcrowding
Rehabilitation
Malta
Malta’s prison boss does not agree with solitary confinement and would abolish it altogether if he had the power to change the law. Christopher Siegersma said that no imprisoned people are serving time in solitary confinement as he does not believe it is effective.
Language in the French reintegration programme
Testimonial
Asia
Activities
Rehabilitation
China
An online charity platform that offers products designed and produced by incarcerated people has garnered favorable feedback from the public. The platform, Made in Prison, offers a variety of products including woodenware, ornaments, stationery, rattan products, and daily necessities.
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.
North America
Facilities
Rehabilitation
United States
The Bellingham Reentry Center has been serving as a transition house for incarcerated people finishing up the last bit of their prison sentence since 1976, and since 1981 at its Garden Street address. The facility is the only reentry center north of Seattle.
North America
Social ties
Rehabilitation
Work
United States
The man shaping McCotter’s style with comb and scissors is Mike Montoya, a skilled apprentice who is on the cusp of earning his barber’s license. Since his release, he’s been working this job with the stability and flexibility to pursue a productive future.
“Walking into a classroom was like walking out of prison”
Analysis
Portfolio
Culture
North America
Central America and the Caribbean
South America
Activities
Rehabilitation
Argentina
In.Visibles has dedicated an article to education programmes in prisons, highlighting current projects and the people behind them. We are sharing it with you here.
Oceania
Material conditions
Rehabilitation
Work
New Zealand
Incarcerated people’ pay rates need to be increased, say reform advocates, who have labelled the current rates of 20 to 60 cents an hour as practically slave labour. The rates have not been touched for 20 years.
United States: health care is key for youths getting out of prison. A new law helps them get it
News
North America
Minors
Access to legal rights
Health
Mental health
Drugs
Rehabilitation
United States
Valentino was given his birth certificate, his Social Security card, a T-shirt, and khaki pants when he was released from a Texas prison in 2019 at the age of 21. But he didn’t have health insurance, mental health medications, or access to a doctor, he said.
Oceania
Mental health
Facilities
Rehabilitation
New Zealand
Prisons are not colourful places. Typically, they are grey or some variation of a monochrome colour scheme. But increasingly, such a limited palette is being questioned for its impact on health and rehabilitation.
Europe
Minors
Health
Mental health
Activities
Rehabilitation
United Kingdom
Teenagers in Feltham Young Offender Institution (YOI) were locked in their cells for as long as 22 hours a day, according to a report.
Culture
North America
Elderly prisoners
Access to legal rights
Health
Social ties
Rehabilitation
Work
United States
Following decades of mass incarceration,the proportion of older people in prison has increased since the early 1990s. Nearly a quarter of people behind bars in federal and state prisons are over age 50. That’s five times the proportion of the prison population in 1991.
United States: incarcerated firefighters battle L.A. blazes while California upholds prison slavery
News
Crises
North America
Justice
Health
Alternatives
Rehabilitation
Work
United States
Last fall, California voters rejected Proposition 6, which would have brought an end to modern-day slavery in the state’s prisons. Not even three months later, more than 1,000 incarcerated Californians stood on the front lines of the fires blazing through LA, risking their lives for minuscule pay.