Compare
Thematic papers
Behind the walls lies the prisoner with his or her history, dreams and aspirations: maintain ties with their child; be cared for; regain your freedom; work, train, learn. It is important, beyond the global vision projected by a country-profile, to focus on specific aspects of the everyday life of prisoners. Punishment damages. It isolates or prepares.
Our thematic papers examine practices in various countries to illuminate the differences between them.
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.
Without a roof or a choice
Analysis
Thematic paper
North America
Europe
Long-term prisoners
Access to legal rights
Alternatives
Rehabilitation
People leaving prison, who are often in precarious situations and stigmatised, are hit hard by the housing crisis. But without a stable habitation, what hope do they have for building a future in society? Four articles explore the problems they face and offer ideas for reflection and solutions.
Prisons in the eye of the storm
Analysis
Thematic paper
Crises
North America
South America
Asia
Europe
Oceania
Health
Mental health
Material conditions
Facilities
Overcrowding
Violence
Prisons, many of which are old and located in vulnerable areas, are being severely affected by climate change. What are prison administrations doing in response to these disasters? Overview.
Outward Bond
Analysis
Thematic paper
North America
Europe
Social ties
Rehabilitation
Maintaining relationships is often seen more as a means than an end: its status as a basic human right has been erased, and instead the prison service has assigned it a role in reintegration. What are the consequences for prisoners and for their loved ones?
Changing the scale
Thematic paper
South America
Europe
Facilities
Social ties
Alternatives
Rehabilitation
New insights are arising concerning alternative forms of detention that are integrated into the community, small-scale and focused on the needs of individuals. This series explores experience from the field, ideas that remain on paper and the potential limits of “small-scale” detention.
Problems of substance
Analysis
Thematic paper
North America
Europe
Health
Mental health
Drugs
Material conditions
Many people are living with addiction in prison. They face great difficulties. Drugs are an integral part of the overcrowded and unsanitary prison systems, which increases the risks inherent in drug use. How is drug addiction experienced behind bars?
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.
Years in the Row
Analysis
Thematic paper
Africa
Women
Asia
Europe
Minors
Foreign prisoners
Discipline
Health
Mental health
Drugs
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Death penalty
Torture
Some people fear death every morning. Others are sentenced to death in countries that no longer carry out executions. At least 483 executions were documented in 2020. Prison Insider publishes an overview of practices in nine countries that have not abolished the death penalty.
Prison & the city
Thematic paper
Material conditions
Facilities
Social ties
Alternatives
Rehabilitation
Hidden prison, modern prison, dilapidated prison, “open” prison: wall to wall, Prison Insider investigated the links between city and prison. In partnership with Rescaled, we gave a number of different people a space to share their point of view.
The use of imprisonment around the world
Analysis
Thematic paper
Africa
Crises
Pre-trial detention
Asia
Elderly prisoners
Europe
Access to legal rights
Health
Mental health
Drugs
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Social ties
An international research and policy project carried out by the Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR) at Birkbeck, University of London
Managing uncertainty in prison: diverse responses to COVID-19
Analysis
Thematic paper
Africa
Coronavirus
Crises
Central America and the Caribbean
South America
Asia
Europe
Material conditions
Social ties
As the COVID-19 outbreaks around the world suprised most governments, how did the 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?
Coronavirus: Prison Fever
News
Thematic paper
Africa
Coronavirus
North America
Central America and the Caribbean
Pre-trial detention
South America
Asia
Europe
Middle East
Health
Material conditions
Protest
Activities
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 31/12/2020
Coronavirus: Prison Fever / 2021
News
Thematic paper
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 31/12/2021