Overcrowding

January 17, 2022

Comoros: “The walls are crumbling by themselves”

Testimonial

Africa Minors Overcrowding Violence Comoros

Chamoun was incarcerated at Moroni Prison in Comoros. He tells us about the dilapidation, the starvation, the debauchery, and the violence. Read more

December 23, 2021

Burundi : l’incendie d’une prison fait 38 morts et 69 blessés parmi les détenus

News

Africa Facilities Overcrowding Burundi

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

December 22, 2021

Danemark : Pourquoi le pays veut envoyer 300 détenus dans une prison du Kosovo

News

Europe Justice Overcrowding Denmark

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

December 14, 2021

How Europe’s prisons have fared in the Covid-19 pandemic

Analysis

Coronavirus Europe Health Overcrowding

Prisons make fertile breeding grounds for viruses, yet administrations have revealed little about Covid-19 cases, deaths and vaccinations in Europe’s prisons. Data from 32 countries show the pandemic’s impact on prisons

Source — European Data Journalism Network

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December 9, 2021

Europa ha conseguido evitar el desastre del covid en las cárceles, pero ¿a qué precio?

News

Coronavirus Europe Overcrowding

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

December 2, 2021

France: place for security

Interview

Europe Justice Material conditions Overcrowding France

The increase in resources allocated to the prison administration is mainly focused on creating new prison places, to the detriment of reintegration. Organisations are outraged by this. Read more

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.

Source — Observatoire Congolais des Prisons

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November 19, 2021

Myanmar : Insein, le visage carcéral de la junte birmane

News

Asia Foreign prisoners Material conditions Overcrowding Myanmar (Burma)

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

October 25, 2021

Rejection of LGBTQI+ people in Burkina Faso

Testimonial

Africa Pre-trial detention LGBTI Material conditions Overcrowding Violence Burkina Faso

Karel tells us about detention conditions in Ouagadougou’s central police station and the treatment of incarcerated LGBTQI+ individuals. Read more

October 18, 2021

France: for moral sociology in prison

Interview

Europe Material conditions Overcrowding Violence Rehabilitation France

How can we consider prison critique? What tools can be used to adapt the role of prisons and the meaning of sentences? Is there hope for a successful outcome? Read more

October 14, 2021

Los 6 países de América Latina y el Caribe donde la cantidad de presos duplica, triplica y hasta cuadriplica la capacidad de las cárceles

News

Central America and the Caribbean South America Overcrowding

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

October 12, 2021

Congo kinshasa : Nord-Kivu, 17 détenus libérés de la prison centrale de Butembo

News

Africa Overcrowding Congo - Kinshasa

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

October 7, 2021

Global Prison Trends 2021

Report

Africa Coronavirus Women Asia Minors Europe Middle East Oceania Health Material conditions Overcrowding Death penalty

More than eleven million people are imprisoned around the world. Of this number, 70% are awaiting trial, a percentage that has been continuously increasing since 2000.

Source — Penal Reform International

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September 28, 2021

Malta: when it comes to prison, the statistics are very telling

News

Europe Material conditions Overcrowding Malta

We have too many prisoners: 154 prisoners per 100,000 of the population. The European average is 117. In Norway it’s 63 prisoners per 100,000. We are inching closer to the countries with the largest prison populations: Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey… all countries with rubbish democratic credentials.1

Source — Time of Malta

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September 27, 2021

Global prison crisis

Interview

Africa Coronavirus Asia Europe Middle East Oceania Overcrowding

The world prison population is still increasing. How does the COVID-19 crisis differ from other ongoing or future crises? Are prison environments doomed to be in perpetual crisis? Read more

September 27, 2021

Belgium: regular crisis and health crisis

Interview

Coronavirus Europe Health Overcrowding Belgium

Belgian prisons, already criticised for their dilapidation and incarceration conditions, have been closed off since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. What measures have been taken to deal with the health crisis? Read more

August 5, 2021

Iran: Human Rights Watch calls for release of Iranian prisoners as COVID-19 crisis worsens

News

Coronavirus Middle East Health Overcrowding Iran

Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned on Tuesday of the dangerous situation faced by prisoners in Iran as the COVID-19 crisis deepens in the country, calling on authorities in the Islamic Republic to “unconditionally” release prisoners detained for peaceful dissent. “Iran’s prison authorities should unco1

Source — Rudaw

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July 27, 2021

Equateur : le pays déclare "l'état d'urgence" dans ses prisons

News

South America Protest Overcrowding Violence Ecuador

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

July 27, 2021

Argentina: ratas, comida podrida y heridos de “guerra”: las imágenes del abandono en las cárceles de la provincia de Buenos Aires

News

South America Health Material conditions Overcrowding Torture Violence Argentina

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

June 23, 2021

Brazil: the vital work of the Public Defenders’ Office in a public health crisis

Analysis Opinion

Coronavirus South America Overcrowding Brazil

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’. Patrick Cacicedo is a Public Defender based in São Paulo.Patrick holds a PhD from the University of São Paulo (USP),1 Read more

June 22, 2021

Africa: informal governance and healthcare access in prison

Analysis Opinion

Africa Discipline Health Mental health Material conditions Facilities Overcrowding

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’. Carole Berrih, a lawyer specialising in public law, focuses on the role of prisoners in the maintenance of order in N1 Read more

June 21, 2021

Madagascar : The right to health must not be "forgotten behind bars"

Analysis Opinion

Access to legal rights Health Mental health Overcrowding Madagascar

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’. Tamara Léger draws on her previous research experience to highlight the severe impact of prison overcrowding on healt1 Read more

June 17, 2021

Thailand: the overcriminalization of meth, a failed moral crusade

Analysis Opinion

Asia Long-term prisoners Drugs Overcrowding Thailand

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’. Pascal Tanguay discusses the overcriminalization of meth-related crimes in Thailand and its consequences. Read more

June 15, 2021

England and Wales: short prison sentences, directions for future reform

Analysis Opinion

Europe Long-term prisoners Justice Overcrowding Social ties Rehabilitation United Kingdom

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’. Helen Mills discusses the vexed problem of short prison sentences. Read more