December 20, 2021

Bahrain: the death of political dissidence

Interview

Middle East Material conditions Death penalty Torture Bahrain

Use of the death penalty has increased by 600% in the last decade. Many of those sentenced to death are political prisoners. Torture and the death penalty are allegedly used as strategic tools against political opponents. Read more

December 15, 2021

Singapore: days ahead to die

Interview

Asia Justice Drugs Death penalty Singapore

The city-state is a strong supporter of the death penalty. Death sentences are regularly handed down for drug-related offences, as witnessed in neighbouring countries. Is abolition on the horizon? Read more

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 25, 2021

Senegal: The Life of a Woman in Prison

Interview

Africa Women Senegal

In 2019, Senegal’s prison headcount was greater than 11,500. Of those prisoners, 2.7% were women. How do Senegalese prisons address the specific needs of female prisoners? We have endeavoured to answer this question through a visit to Liberté VI Women’s Prison. 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 11, 2021

A very disturbing situation

Interview

Africa Europe Middle East Torture Violence

The torture and abuse of prisoners have become commonplace over the years. How did these excesses come about? A recently published report takes up this topic. Read more

September 28, 2021

In Brazil, loved ones may be far away but remain supportive

Interview

Women South America Social ties Brazil

On visiting days, fewer people wait in front of women’s prisons than men’s prisons, but the female prisoners have not been abandoned. Two researchers answered our questions. Read more

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: a parent in prison

Interview

Europe Social ties Belgium

The Relais Enfants-Parents (REP) association works to maintain the relationship between a child and their imprisoned parent. How does this mediation take place? Does it allow for in-person visits? Interview. 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

September 9, 2021

Belgium: “prison isn’t a place for care”

Interview

Europe Mental health Belgium

Incarcerated people are often in worse physical and mental health than the general population. I.Care has been visiting prisons since 2015. Read more

September 7, 2021

France: a deceptive protection

Interview

Women Europe Justice Violence France

The proliferation of surveillance systems and an increased reliance on incarceration are meant to curb violence. But what are the implications of this kind of security? Françoise Vergès is a feminist, anti-racist author. Her most recent work, entitled Une théorie féministe de la violence. Pour une1 Read more

June 23, 2021

Brazil: an obstacle course for prisoners' families in the pandemic

Interview

Coronavirus South America Social ties 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’. Maria Teresa dos Santos is the chair of the Associação de Amigos e Familiares de Pessoas em Privação de Liberdade (As1 Read more

June 10, 2021

Considering penal abolitionism

Interview

North America Europe Discipline Justice Alternatives

The abolitionist movement is not well-known in France. Three texts, recently translated into French, have been assembled into one book on the subject. Read more

May 28, 2021

France: women in prison and gender-based violence

Interview

Women Europe Long-term prisoners France

As of January 2020, women represent 3.6% of the total incarcerated population. Across 187 French correctional facilities, only three exclusively house women. Yet more women than men are sentenced to prison terms exceeding ten years. What role does gender-based violence play in the incarceration of1 Read more

March 29, 2021

Belgium: what is Haren ?

Interview

Europe Facilities Overcrowding Belgium

One billion euros have been invested in the construction of Haren, a massive prison complex located on the outskirts of Brussels. Read more

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

February 25, 2021

UK: different sides of a shared story

Interview

Coronavirus Europe Mental health Material conditions Social ties United Kingdom

As the pandemic hit the UK, researchers were banned from entering prisons. The Prison Reform Trust remotely mobilised about 800 prisoners to share how the measures were affecting them. Prison Insider asked them three questions. Read more

February 17, 2021

Ireland: social distress in prison

Interview

Europe Discipline Mental health Material conditions Ireland

After a significant reform in Irish prisons, the CPT remains concerned about the conditions of detention in segregation cells and for mentally ill prisoners. A member of the monitoring body told us what she observed. Read more

January 26, 2021

France: indiscriminate surveillance

Interview

Pre-trial detention Europe Facilities France

There are 1,500 individuals who are identified as “radicalised” prisoners. How are they evaluated? By whom? What is their pre-trial detention like? Read more

January 5, 2021

France: in prison, return to the abnormal

Interview

Coronavirus Europe Health Mental health Overcrowding Social ties France

The average prison occupancy rate fell below 100% in May. The country then had more places available than people incarcerated, fulfilling the wishes of many human rights organisations that had sought this for decades. What is the situation today? Is this decrease of the prison population a long-ter1 Read more

December 1, 2020

Can prisons serve to empower women?

Interview

Women Access to legal rights Justice Social ties Alternatives France

Are tougher criminal penalties the solution to ending violence against women? Gwenola Ricordeau says no. Read more

November 20, 2020

Religion and prison: higher things

Interview

Europe Access to legal rights Mental health Social ties Religion France

Managing prisons (Latin America); providing spiritual care for inmates (Europe); practical support (Africa) – the role of prison chaplains varies from country to country. Read more

November 17, 2020

Basque prisoners: so close and yet so far

Interview

Europe Long-term prisoners Access to legal rights Justice

Scattered throughout France and Spain, Basque prisoners are, at times, subject to particularly harsh prison conditions. Some have been in prison for over 30 years and are now gravely ill. Read more