Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

September 18, 2023

United Kingdom: staff shortages an issue amid ‘deeply worrying’ prison deaths in England

News

Europe Mental health Suicide United Kingdom

Inquests flag up gaps in the care of prisoners in relation to at least nine deaths in custody since 2021.

September 18, 2023

United Kingdom: indefinite sentences should be suicide risk factor, says prisons watchdog

News

Europe Long-term prisoners Mental health Suicide United Kingdom

Nine self-inflicted deaths of prisoners serving IPP sentences in 2022 was highest number since controversial introduction.

August 25, 2023

Italy: justice minister visits prison where 2 inmates died as advocates warn of summertime suicides

Europe Mental health Suicide Italy

July 7, 2023

Türkiye: 26 deaths in prisons since the start of the year

News

Middle East Mental health Suicide Turkey

Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a Green Left deputy from Kocaeli, stated today that at least 26 prisoners died in prisons in the first six months of 2023. Gergerlioglu stressed that 15 of the 26 prisoners died in suspicious circumstances. Another 11 people were not released from prison despite being termi…

June 8, 2022

France: everyday madness

Testimonial

Europe Mental health Drugs Facilities Suicide France

Like at many other facilities, no two days are the same at the Baumettes Regional Mental Health Department for Prisons (Marseille). Eric Kania has been a psychiatrist there for over 20 years. He told us about his day-to-day.

April 14, 2022

Walling up madness

Analysis Thematic paper

Europe Access to legal rights Mental health Drugs Material conditions Suicide

More than 40 % of prisoners in Italy suffer from at least one mental disorder, about 30% in Spain, 35% in England, and 60% in the Netherlands. Does prison make you go mad? This is no doubt true for some. Prison Insider provides an overview of practices in eight countries.

February 24, 2022

France: Psychiatry at the service of security

Interview

Europe Health Mental health Suicide France

Fresnes, Fleury-Mérogis, la Santé: for 25 years, Cyrille Canetti witnessed the shift of prison psychiatry. (Critical) interview about psychiatry and prison.

January 10, 2022

United States: inadequate mental health treatment

Analysis Opinion

North America Mental health Material conditions Suicide United States

How the prison system respond to the needs of mentally ill prisoners?

December 6, 2021

Suisse : Hans Wolff, “Avec la pandémie, le risque suicidaire a explosé en prison“

News

Coronavirus Europe Mental health Suicide Switzerland

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

November 25, 2021

Uruguay: Récord de fallecidos en las cárceles, casi 7 por mes

News

South America Suicide Violence Uruguay

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

November 23, 2021

DRC: Lack of Access to Healthcare

Report

Africa Health Material conditions Suicide Overcrowding Congo - Kinshasa

The Congolese Prison Observatory published a report in December 2019. It reported six deaths and one suicide attempt that year within this prison.

October 12, 2021

India: death rate up, jails to get ‘suicide watchers’

News

Asia Suicide India

The Punjab Prisons is training a unique squad of “suicide watchers” as a study of suicides between 2017 and 2019 found that nearly 42 per cent of the victims died by suicide within a month of incarceration. Fifteen per cent could not last even 48 hours in jail.

September 10, 2021

India: rules laid down to prevent inmate suicide in jail

News

Asia Mental health Suicide India

Superintendents of jails have been asked to conduct an environmental audit in jail to find aout vulnerable places and articles that may help inmates commit suicide and take immediate preventive measures.

June 24, 2021

United States: addressing the structural inequalities underlying a failing prison health system

Analysis Opinion

North America Mental health Drugs Material conditions Suicide United States

ICPR and Prison Insider asked several experts worldwide to share their insights in the framework of the project ‘Understanding and reducing the use of imprisonment in 10 countries’. Homer Venters is a physician and epidemiologist working at the intersection of incarceration, health and human rights…

June 9, 2021

France : en prison, on se suicide dans l’indifférence

News

Europe Mental health Suicide Violence France

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

May 27, 2021

España: los suicidios en las cárceles aumentan con la pandemia

News

Europe Mental health Suicide Spain

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

May 4, 2021

Kazakhstan: two inmates in Kazakh prison swallow spoons to protest conditions

News

Asia Material conditions Suicide Violence Kazakhstan

Two inmates in a prison in Kazakhstan’s western region of Manghystau have swallowed spoons to protest against prison conditions, prompting an inspection of the facility by representatives of the Public Monitoring Commission and the National Preventive Mechanism – groups created to prevent torture a…

February 1, 2021

Canada : bannir les courtes peines de prison pour éviter des suicides

News

North America Pre-trial detention Justice Mental health Suicide Alternatives Canada

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

February 1, 2021

Suisse : l'aide au suicide pour les prisonniers envisagée

News

Europe Access to legal rights Justice Mental health Suicide Switzerland

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

January 7, 2021

France : les suicides à la prison marseillaise des Baumettes ne sont pas une fatalité

News

Europe Justice Health Mental health Suicide Violence France

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

December 7, 2020

United States: mental health crisis in California’s lock-ups worsens with Covid-19

News

Coronavirus North America Mental health Suicide United States

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has been challenged regarding care for its mentally ill prisoners for decades.

November 23, 2020

España: el protocolo antisuicidios en las cárceles

News

Europe Mental health Suicide Spain

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

September 17, 2020

France : suicides en prison

News

Europe Mental health Suicide Social ties Religion France

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

June 4, 2020

USA: solitary confinement is fueling New York's prison suicide crisis

News

North America Mental health Suicide United States

On average, someone attempts suicide in one of New York State’s prisons every other day. And 43 percent of those suicide attempts occur in the state’s notorious solitary confinement units — the Special Housing Unit, or SHUs. Solitary confinement is also linked to higher rates of death by suicide, a…