Testimonials
Testimonials
Prison Insider invites witnesses to shout out, to describe their sadness and share their joys. We invite stories of resistance and want to provide a space where the silent voices of prisoners can be heard
Connecting Stories Beyond Bars
America
Pre-trial detention
Women
Europe
Long-term prisoners
Access to legal rights
Mental health
Material conditions
Violence
Social ties
‘Connecting Stories Beyond Bars - The invisible impact of prison on relatives’ is a six-episode docuseries produced with Acifad (Argentina), Amparar (Brasil), Relais Famille (Canada), OIP-SF (France), Documenta (Mexico) and POPS (UK).
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Scotland: “A state of permanent hyperawareness”
Testimonial
Europe
Health
Mental health
Material conditions
Facilities
Social ties
Rehabilitation
United Kingdom
John has been incarcerated for nearly twenty years since the age of 16. Now a husband, a father, and a PhD researcher, he shares his story with us — from his time behind bars to how prison still impacts him today. Interview.
The power of the group (1/6)
Testimonial
America
Europe
Access to legal rights
Torture
Violence
Social ties
Hearing the voices of relatives of incarcerated people in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Mexico and the UK reveals one key finding: the group brings enough strength to build resistance. Coming together offers a space for dialogue, mutual support, and the ability to build concrete responses to d…
The echo of violence (2/6)
Testimonial
America
Europe
Access to legal rights
Mental health
Violence
Social ties
How are the lives of relatives affected when someone they love is deprived of liberty? Feelings of powerlessness, dehumanisation, daily life disruption — prison affects not only the incarcerated people but also, often invisibly, those left on the outside.
The cost of incarceration (3/6)
Testimonial
America
Europe
Justice
Mental health
Material conditions
Social ties
Rehabilitation
The State deprives people of their freedom and ignores everything else. It is the relatives — most often women — who bear the costs of imprisonment and support those in prison, while trying to keep life going outside.
The mechanics of punishment (5/6)
Testimonial
America
Europe
Minors
Access to legal rights
Justice
Violence
Social ties
Alternatives
Prison is not only a place of punishment; it is also a reflection of social divides. Rather than repairing damage, it accentuates inequalities and perpetuates discrimination. To combat this, associations of relatives are establishing themselves as spaces of resistance.
From experience to action (6/6)
Testimonial
America
Europe
Access to legal rights
Justice
Social ties
The prison system deprives and marginalises, but resignation does not prevail. Relatives take action and demand justice to build a system respectful of human rights.
Guantánamo: what torture does to people
Testimonial
North America
Justice
Death penalty
Torture
United States
Mohamedou Ould Slahi spent 14 years in Guantánamo, enduring torture, humiliation and degrading treatment. He came to share his story at Concertina alongside Sylvain Savolainen, a lawyer who became his friend.
Tunisia: relentless harassment
Testimonial
Africa
Pre-trial detention
Women
Access to legal rights
Health
Material conditions
Violence
Social ties
Tunisia
Sonia Dahmani is a lawyer who has made the defence of women’s rights her personal crusade. She was violently arrested over a comment made during a media appearance, and immediately imprisoned. Her sister, Ramla, has become her voice. This is her account.
Iran: a chain of imprisonment
Testimonial
Middle East
Long-term prisoners
Material conditions
Death penalty
Torture
Violence
Work
Iran
Soheil Arabi is an Iranian blogger and photojournalist. He has been imprisoned for several years for his activism. Some time ago, Soheil contacted us to tell his story. We share it with you here.
Türkiye: broken spirits
Testimonial
Language in the French reintegration programme
Testimonial
North America
Death penalty
Social ties
United States
Since 1992, ACAT-France has been facilitating letter exchanges between volunteers or supporters and people on death row. These letters are rooted in solidarity, faith and connection. A five-part interview.
Morocco: ink flows
Testimonial
Africa
Justice
Material conditions
Overcrowding
Morocco
Hicham Mansouri is a journalist. He was arrested in 2015 on false charges and imprisoned. He shares his journey, his life in detention, and the investigation he conducted behind bars.
Pınar Selek: “I saw the gravity of imprisonment”
Testimonial
Women
Europe
Justice
Torture
Turkey
Pınar Selek is a Turkish sociologist, feminist and anti-militarist activist. In 1998, she was arrested then imprisoned for two and a half years in Türkiye, on the basis of false allegations. She explains the causes she fights for, her arrest and torture, the conditions of her imprisonment and her r…
Pınar Selek: “Türkiye is like one huge prison.”
Testimonial
Women
Europe
Justice
Torture
Turkey
Pınar Selek is a sociologist, feminist and anti-militarist activist. In 1998, she was imprisoned for two and a half years in Türkiye, on the basis of false allegations. She explains the causes she fights for, her arrest and torture, the conditions of her imprisonment and her reconstruction. Part 1
Switzerland: a lack of humanity
Testimonial
Europe
Long-term prisoners
Health
Mental health
Material conditions
Switzerland
Iscu V., a Romanian national, has been incarcerated in Switzerland since 2015. In addition to receiving his sentence, Iscu falls under the lifelong incarceration measure set out in the Swiss Criminal Code. He describes incessant noise, frequent prison transfers and difficulty accessing medical care…
South Africa: resonating stories
Testimonial
Africa
Access to legal rights
Material conditions
Facilities
Activities
South Africa
Five former prisoners share their experiences in South African prisons. Incarcerated for different lengths of time, at different periods and in different facilities, these diverse perspectives highlight the challenges faced by prisoners in South Africa.
Canada: close to ordinary violence
Testimonial
North America
Mental health
Violence
Social ties
Canada
Olivia* supports a close schizophrenic friend through his life sentence. She recounts the time spent helping him and understanding his illness. She reveals the shortcomings of the penal system as well as the violence perpetrated by prison staff.
Panama: fighting for my life
Testimonial
Central America and the Caribbean
Women
Health
Material conditions
Social ties
Panama
Yonta J. was incarcerated in a Panamanian prison for three years, from March 2015 to January 2018. She faced hardships that still impact her life today. This is the story of her daily life in prison.
France: spectating life on the outside
Testimonial
Europe
Social ties
Rehabilitation
France
Ryan* was incarcerated at Fresnes in April 2019. He stayed there for fourteen months. He speaks about being arrested right in front of his daughter, who was four years old at the time, the sadness of visits, and the difficulty of being far away, of feeling powerless and useless.