Health

January 1, 2020

News

Coronavirus: Prison Fever / 2021

Africa Coronavirus North America Central America and the Caribbean South America Asia Elderly prisoners Europe Middle East Oceania Health Mental health Material conditions Activities Social ties

The virus has not stopped at prison gates. 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 29/03/2021 Read more

March 30, 2021

Brasil: Xuxa propuso que se prueben vacunas y medicamentos en presos “que al menos sirvan para algo”

News

Coronavirus South America Health Brazil

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

March 30, 2021

Venezuela: limitaciones de movilidad durante cuarentena radical impiden que familiares lleven alimentos a sus detenidos

News

Coronavirus South America Health Material conditions Social ties Venezuela

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

March 22, 2021

Italy: “political action is powerless"

Interview

Coronavirus Europe Health Protest Overcrowding Italy

The second wave of the pandemic hit prisons with overwhelming force. What can the authorities do? Read more

March 19, 2021

Forgotten behind bars: Covid-19 and prisons

Report

Coronavirus Health Overcrowding

Amnesty International has released a new report, produced in collaboration with Prison Insider. The spread of COVID-19 in prisons and other detention facilities has thrown into stark relief systemic threats to health in detention such as overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions

Source — Amnesty International

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March 18, 2021

Chile : Managing uncertainty

Analysis

Coronavirus South America Health Material conditions Protest Activities Social ties Work Chile

As the COVID-19 outbreaks around the world suprised most governments, how did the Chilean authorities respond to the crisis behind the bars? Were prison authorities prepared to avoid the spread of the virus? Which measures were taken and how did them impact prisoners’ lives? Read more

March 18, 2021

Norway: managing uncertainty

Analysis

Coronavirus Europe Health Material conditions Activities Norway

As the COVID-19 outbreaks around the world suprised most governments, how did the Norwegian authorities respond to the crisis behind the bars? Were prison authorities prepared to avoid the spread of the virus? Which measures were taken and how did them impact prisoners’ lives? Read more

March 18, 2021

Spain: managing uncertainty

Analysis

Coronavirus Europe Health Material conditions Protest Activities Social ties Spain

As the COVID-19 outbreaks around the world suprised most governments, how did the Spanish authorities respond to the crisis behind the bars? Were prison authorities prepared to avoid the spread of the virus? Which measures were taken and how did them impact prisoners’ lives? Read more

March 18, 2021

Thailand: managing uncertainty

Analysis

Coronavirus Asia Health Material conditions Overcrowding Activities Social ties Work Thailand

As the COVID-19 outbreaks around the world suprised most governments, how did the Thai authorities respond to the crisis behind the bars? Were prison authorities prepared to avoid the spread of the virus? Which measures were taken and how did them impact prisoners’ lives? Read more

March 18, 2021

South Africa: managing uncertainty

Analysis

Africa Coronavirus Health Material conditions Protest Overcrowding Activities Social ties South Africa

As the COVID-19 outbreaks around the world suprised most governments, how did the South African authorities respond to the crisis behind the bars? Were prison authorities prepared to avoid the spread of the virus? Which measures were taken and how did them impact prisoners’ lives? Read more

March 1, 2021

Prisons and jails should be prioritized for the coronavirus vaccine

Analysis

Coronavirus Access to legal rights Health

The combination of massive need and short supply of COVID-19 vaccines requires authorities to define priorities. Whether prisoners should be considered a priority group becomes an urgent question.

Source — Open Society Justice Initiative

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March 1, 2021

Venezuela: detenidos de Policarirubana piden descongestionamiento

News

Coronavirus South America Health Overcrowding Venezuela

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

March 1, 2021

Venezuela: familiares de presos de Polimiranda deben llevar agua a diario para aseo y consumo

News

South America Health Material conditions Venezuela

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

March 1, 2021

Irán: recluso sometido a 60 azotes y en riesgo de amputación tras intento de suicidio

News

Middle East Health Mental health Torture Violence Iran

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

February 24, 2021

Zimbabwe: prison inmates urged to embrace Covid-19 vaccine

News

Africa Coronavirus Health Zimbabwe

PRISON inmates have been encouraged to embrace the Covid-19 vaccine whose rollout programme that has been approved by the government. Zimbabwe this week received 200 000 doses of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine from China whose roll out begins today. The Vaccination programme has an overall target of…

Source — Zbc News

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February 24, 2021

République démocratique du Congo : comment lutter contre la malnutrition et les maladies dans les prisons ?

News

Africa Health Congo - Kinshasa

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

February 18, 2021

Ireland: prison service and HSE seek to put new supports in place to reduce self-harm in prisons

News

Europe Health Ireland

A new tender request jointly issued by the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention and the Irish Prison Service said they want to “gain greater insight into the effectiveness of current practices being used in the prison service to manage self-harm and suicidality” and “obtain research and implementation…

Source — Irish examiner

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February 18, 2021

Ireland: €3.7m spent on medicine for prison inmates over the last two years

News

Europe Health Drugs Ireland

More than €3.7m has been spent by the Irish Prison Service on medications for inmates over the past two years. The bill at a single prison can be in excess of €50,000 a month, according to the data, with costs highest at the Midlands Prison in Co Laois. The Irish Prison Service said many of those sent…

Source — Irish examiner

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February 8, 2021

Luxembourg : quelle stratégie de vaccination pour les personnes en prison?

News

Coronavirus Europe Health Luxembourg

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

February 8, 2021

Guinée : "décédé de mort naturelle" un constat qui se multiplie à la prison de Conakry en Guinée

News

Africa Access to legal rights Health Material conditions Guinea

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

February 2, 2021

Guinea: deaths in detention and prison sentence for opposition members

Africa Access to legal rights Health Material conditions Protest Guinea

In the past two months, four people, including three supporters of the opposition Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG) have died in pre-trial detention in Conakry’s main prison. They were arrested in connection with protests in March 2020 against a referendum to change the constitution, and in…

Source — Amnesty International

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February 2, 2021

Cuba: first coronavirus vaccines reach prison at Guantánamo bay

News

Coronavirus Central America and the Caribbean Health Cuba

The first 100 members of the prison staff at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, have received initial vaccines against the coronavirus, the U.S. military said Tuesday evening, although it declined to say whether any of the 40 wartime prisoners at the detention center were offered or received vaccines. Capt. Garrett…

Source — The News Tribune

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February 2, 2021

India: "they don’t even look at us as humans. How can we expect them to protect us from the virus?"

News

Coronavirus Asia Health Material conditions India

Inmates from Jail Number 14 described the conditions in the jail as bheed-bichham (stuffed), jaanvaron jaisa vyavhar (animalistic behaviour), and insaan bhi nahi samajhte (inhumane). They felt the inmates who tested positive for the virus were kept in even more deplorable conditions, evoking pity and…

Source — The Justice Gap

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February 2, 2021

Lithuania: inside Vilnius prison during pandemic, "getting sick is inevitable"

News

Coronavirus Europe Health Lithuania

In late December, 398 prisoners lived in Vilnius Penitentiary. Since September, 59 of them had been infected with the coronavirus, while another 54 cases were diagnosed among the facility’s staff. Three seriously ill convicts were sent to Prison Hospital in Pravieniškės near Kaunas; none have died. “Before…

Source — LRT

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