We are compiling a list of news articles, guidance and other resources from around the world on COVID-19 and prisons. This will be updated regularly.
International resources
WEPHREN are collating guidance and other resources on managing COVID-19 in prisons and places of detention from various countries and organisations which can be found here.
The ICPA has a resource page here
Prison Insider is collating information on the measures being taken in different countries here
COVID-19 Behind Bars is an independent journalism project tracking jails, prisons, detention centers, and other facilities of incarceration impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. Link here
The European Prison Observatory has a webpage on COVID-19: What is happening in European Prisons? which can be found here
The Association for the Prevention of Torture has developed a Covid-19 And Persons Deprived Of Liberty Information Hub available here
Europris have a dedicated COVID-19 page here
The Amend Team is developing real-time strategies and guidance for correctional facilities grappling with the life threatening challenges of COVID-19 here
The Fair Trials Covid-19 Justice Project can be found here
Information on measures being taken by different countries in dealing with the pandemic in prisons can be found here
Justice Project Pakistan has produced a live global map which is tracking reported cases of prisoners testing positive and dying of the virus across the world. You can view the map here
The Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody has a Coronavirus Information Hub which can be accessed here
A special open access issue of the Victims and Offenders journal has been published focussing on the impact of the pandemic in prisons in a number of countries. The journal can be accessed here
The Council of Europe has published a report on "Prisons and Prisoners in Europe in Pandemic Times: An evaluation of the medium-term impact of the COVID-19 on prison populations" which is available here
Policy statements and guidance
The WHO has issued guidance on Preventing COVID-19 outbreak in prisons which can be found here
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture has issued a statement of principles relating to the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty in the context of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic which can be found here
Penal Reform International have produced a briefing note on Coronavirus: Healthcare and human rights of people in prison here
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights has issued a statement here
UNODC has published a position paper on Position Paper on COVID-19 preparedness and responses in prisons here
On 23 March the Regional Penitentiary Academy for Latin America organised a virtual conference of senior prison administrators in the region to discuss the issue of Covid 19 and to learn from each other about initiatives to manage the situation in prisons. Professor Andrew Coyle was invited to set the scene for the conference and a copy of his statement is available here
The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative has published a report on COVID - 19 and Prisons in the Commonwealth: Ensuring An Effective Response here
Children in detention are at heightened risk of contracting COVID-19 and should be released: Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore here
Physicians for Human Rights Israel has published a report on Health Remanded to Custody: The Future of the Prison Health Care System in Israel which can be found here
News articles from 13 March - 30 November 2020 can be found here
News 24 October
Americas
US - California Fails to Meet Prisoners' Mental Health Needs
https://www.governing.com/health/california-fails-to-meet-prisoners-mental-health-needs
US - Rising commissary prices in Florida prisons lead to boycotts, outcry
Europe
England and Wales - Probation officers fear repeat of failings in murder case as pressures mount
England and Wales - Should pregnant women be spared jail? Sentencing Council reviews the impact of prison on unborn babies
England and Wales - Lindholme Prison: Half of the inmates feel it's easy to get drugs, one in five developed a problem since being jailed
Northern Ireland - Half of those who leave prison in NI reoffend within a year
Oceania
Australia - Queensland prison guard warned that spit hood was suffocating inmate before her death
News 21 – 23 October
Africa
Nigeria - Reps move to decongest correctional centres nationwide
https://tribuneonlineng.com/reps-move-to-decongest-correctional-centres-nationwide/
Americas
Death row: The secret hunt for lethal drugs used in US executions
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67150566
US - California prisons say there is no solitary confinement. So why are inmates isolated for years?
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article280739925.html#storylink=cpy
US - COVID-19-related jail decarceration did not affect crime in California, study suggests
https://phys.org/news/2023-10-covid-related-decarceration-affect-crime-california.html
US - Woman Sues Alabama Prison for Leaving Her To Give Birth and Bleed Out in a Shower
Asia
India - Prison inmates in Kodagu District Prison to receive vocational training
Philippines - Supreme Court wants a prisoner rights writ but BuCor disagrees
Europe
Drones to be banned from flying near prisons in England and Wales
England and Wales - I spent two years in jail – I’ve seen first hand how prisoners are failed by overcrowding
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/prison-hmp-wandsworth-jail-overcrowded-conditions-b2433955.html
England and Wales - Three inmates abscond from Hollesley Bay prison in Suffolk in one day
Oceania
Indigenous Teen Dies in Australian Adult Prison
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/23/indigenous-teen-dies-australian-adult-prison
Australia - Inspector queries expansion of maximum security prison
News 20 October
Africa
Nigeria - 4,000 inmates languishing in jail unable to pay N500m fines — Minister
Americas
Private prisons failed in the U.S., but Brazil wants to copy that model
https://brazilian.report/power/2023/10/19/private-prison-failed-lula-model/
Europe
Armenia becomes 45th member state to abolish the death penalty in all circumstances
Staff shortages forcing England’s prisons into emergency ‘red’ measures
England and Wales - Concern raised over mental health of inmates at HMP Peterborough - as some prisoners go without medication for weeks
Ireland - Prison population up since 2013 report called for one-third reduction
Ireland - Calls For More Prison Space Amid Overcrowding
https://www.midlands103.com/news/midlands-news/calls-for-more-prison-space-amid-overcrowding/
Oceania
Australia - Indigenous boy, 16, dies a week after being found unresponsive in WA’s Casuarina prison
New Zealand - High prison remand numbers probed
https://waateanews.com/2023/10/20/high-prison-remand-numbers-probed/
News 19 October
Africa
Malawi Relocates Female Inmates to Female-Only Prisons
https://www.voanews.com/a/malawi-relocates-female-inmates-to-female-only-prisons/7316655.html
Americas
US - Prisons and Jails are Violent; They Don’t Have to Be
https://www.vera.org/news/prisons-and-jails-are-violent-they-dont-have-to-be
US - Fewer in Tennessee prisons being granted parole, report shows. Here's why.
Europe
‘Inhumane’: chief inspector describes chaos in English prisons
https://www.ft.com/content/244de68b-213b-441e-a9a5-c258b420b4a2
England and Wales - 'Chaotic' probation system puts people at risk of being called back to prison
Ireland - New female accommodation opens at Limerick Prison
https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2023/1018/1411563-limerick-prison/
Oceania
Australia - Selesa Tafaifa had spent significant time in solitary confinement before altercation that led to her death, inquest hears
News 18 October
Americas
The United States Criminalizes People Who Need Health Care and Housing
https://www.vera.org/news/the-united-states-criminalizes-people-who-need-health-care-and-housing
US (California) - San Francisco slammed for denying inmates access to sunlight
https://www.courthousenews.com/san-francisco-slammed-for-denying-inmates-access-to-sunlight/
Asia
North Korea ramps up public executions
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2023/10/103_361356.html
Philippines - BuCor inks pact with US DOJ, UN on rehab program for extremist offenders
Europe
England and Wales - MoJ ‘put public at risk’ after quietly transferring inmates to open prisons
England and Wales - Concerns over staffing pressures at Kent and Sussex prisons
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-67096774
Crowded house: Are Scotland's overcrowded prisons fit for purpose?
Oceania
Australia - Prison video shows Selesa Tafaifa being wrestled to the ground by officers. Six minutes later she was dead
News 17 October
Africa
Nigeria - Too many inmates remain on ‘death row’
https://punchng.com/too-many-inmates-remain-on-death-row/
Americas
US - Time For A Bureau Of Prisons Task Force To Implement The First Step Act
US - Access To Long-Term Nursing Care For Justice-Involved Elderly
US (Mississippi) - MDOC launches simulation preparing inmates for post-prison life
https://www.supertalk.fm/mdoc-launches-simulation-preparing-inmates-for-post-prison-life/
Asia
Malaysia - Home minister: Rehab programme effective with only one of 800 in parole, community service programme returning to prison
Europe
England and Wales - Justice Secretary to take ‘decisive action’ over indefinite prison sentences
https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/justice-secretary-decisive-action-over-182902843.html
England and Wales - Bristol Prison deemed unsafe as 10 inmates die since 2019
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-67122056
Scotland's 'failing' £240million prison escort service blasted by warders' union
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scotlands-failing-240million-prison-escort-31201773
News 14-16 October
Americas
Red-flags raised around medically-assisted death in Canada’s prisons
https://globalnews.ca/news/10023956/maid-prisons-canada/
5 killed in Mexico prison riot. Authorities cite dispute between inmates
Billion-dollar supersize prisons are slated to be built across the U.S. But do they help or hurt public safety?
https://news.yahoo.com/billion-dollar-prisons-built-across-us-public-safety-090001432.html
US - Louisiana denies clemency hearings to five death row prisoners
Asia
India - Delhi government considering allowing conjugal visits in prisons
Malaysia - Budget 2024: Prisons Dept empowers inmates with TVET skills
Europe
England and Wales - New rules set out for foreign criminals and low-level offenders
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67116658
Two-thirds of prisons officially overcrowded in England and Wales
Prisons plan could add 1,000 places in England and Wales amid overcrowding
England and Wales - Surge in number of women being jailed as overcrowding crisis grips prisons
England and Wales - Younger prisoners facing health care crisis as access to key appointments and specialist care is denied
England and Wales - Overdoses double at prison where inmates say it’s ‘easy’ to get drugs
England and Wales - HMP Five Wells: Former staff describe 'dangerous' conditions
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-67102655
Large rise in number of deaths in Irish prisons last year, Inspector of Prisons says
Ireland - Mountjoy Prison conditions 'shocking' - report
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2023/1013/1410827-irish-prisons/
Jersey ballet company performs for island's prisoners
https://www.itv.com/news/channel/2023-10-15/jersey-ballet-dancers-perform-for-islands-prisoners
Northern Ireland - Solicitor makes call for ‘full public scrutiny of prisons’ as Maghaberry inmate wins segregation case
News 13 October
Africa
South Africa - Correctional Services Department Re-Arrested 90% Of Prison Escapees In 2022/23
Americas
El Salvador is gradually filling its new mega prison with alleged gang members
US - Describing Modern Day Prison Labor’s Roots in Slavery, Groups Urge Court to Uphold Rights of Incarcerated Workers Subjected to Harsh Conditions, Inhumane Treatment
US - ACLU sues Delaware for ‘deliberate indifference’ to medical care in prisons
https://whyy.org/articles/aclu-sues-delaware-prison-medical-care-deliberate-indifference/
Asia
Taiwan - Court approves polling booth in Taipei Prison
https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202310120018
Europe
England and Wales - Criminals facing sentences under six months ‘will be spared prison’
Just 557 prison spaces left and ‘criminals to be spared jail’ as population hits record high
England and Wales - ‘Inevitable’ prison spaces will run out as judges ‘delay sentencings’ to avoid overwhelming system
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/prisons-full-judges-sentencing-chalk-b2428731.html
HMP Eastwood Park: Report finds prison has highest self-harm rate in England and Wales
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-67088567
Northern Ireland - Magilligan prisoners’ writing skills recognised in UK-wide competition
New bill adds additional jail time for dodging prison sentences in Romania
https://www.romania-insider.com/bill-additional-jail-time-dodging-prison-sentences-romania-2023
News 12 October
Americas
Canada’s youth justice system should extend beyond age 18
https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/october-2023/youth-justice-adulthood/
Inmates free hostages at Paraguay prison, end riot
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231011-inmates-free-hostages-at-paraguay-prison-end-riot
US - One in Five: Ending Racial Inequity in Incarceration
https://www.sentencingproject.org/reports/one-in-five-ending-racial-inequity-in-incarceration/
US - Oklahoma prison held inmates in shower stalls for days
US - Arizona inmate suffers horrific injuries after technician does not remove metal shackles during MRI
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/arizona-inmate-injuries-mri-scan-b2427852.html
US - California bills to reform prisons have a mixed record of success this session
https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/prison-reform-18420277.php
Europe
England and Wales - Convicted criminals could avoid jail because prisons are 'full'
https://news.sky.com/story/convicted-criminals-could-avoid-jail-because-prisons-are-full-12982756
England and Wales - SBFM to launch academies in prisons
https://www.fmj.co.uk/sbfm-to-launch-academies-in-prisons/
England and Wales - Bristol café to be staffed by ex-offenders given go ahead
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-67006633
Slovenia - Lack of prison officers noted as MPs discuss judiciary budgets
https://english.sta.si/3223569/lack-of-prison-officers-noted-as-mps-discuss-judiciary-budgets
News 11 October
Africa
South Africa - More special remissions coming to reduce overcrowding in prisons
Americas
Paraguay's biggest prison set ablaze, rioting inmates take guards hostage
US prisoners who did not consent to ivermectin Covid treatment win payout
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/10/arkansas-prison-covid-ivermectin-lawsuit
US - New Jersey prisons flagrantly flout law limiting solitary confinement, watchdog finds
US - California emergency regulations would change use of solitary confinement in prisons
Europe
England and Wales - Wandsworth Prison unsafe and inhumane - watchdog report
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-67065800
England and Wales - Inside hell-hole men's prison dubbed 'no-toilet jail' where inmates have to use bottles
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/inside-hell-hole-mens-prison-31152081
Northern Ireland - Prisoners at Maghaberry use gardening and baking skills to raise £4,500 for RNLI
News 5 – 10 October
World Psychiatric Association Releases Report Opposing the Death Penalty for People with Mental Illness or Development and Intellectual Disabilities
Africa
Ghana - Prison Officers to receive specialised training in convict management – Deputy Interior Minister
https://www.modernghana.com/news/1264880/prison-officers-to-receive-specialised-training.html
'Money for freedom': Morocco's solution to prison overcrowding
https://www.newarab.com/news/money-freedom-moroccos-plan-prison-overcrowding
Americas
Canada - Calls for more oversight: 'The only people who know what's going on in provincial jails are the inmates'
Canada - Mould halts in-person visits at Newfoundland's notorious, rodent-infested prison
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/hmp-mould-canadian-press-1.6986430
Ecuador extends state of emergency after prison deaths
https://borneobulletin.com.bn/ecuador-extends-state-of-emergency-after-prison-deaths/
U.S. Local Jail Population Surges by 4% in Mid-2022, Female Inmates Increase by 9%
https://www.washingtoninformer.com/incarceration-rates-rise-2022/
US - Youth Justice: Lessons From the Last 50 Years
https://www.sentencingproject.org/policy-brief/youth-justice-lessons-from-the-last-50-years/
US - Graying prisons face accelerating health care needs
https://www.route-fifty.com/management/2023/10/aging-prisoners/390893/
US - N.Y. prison watchdog report says inmates struggle to voice grievances
US - Racial disparities persist in Alaska’s prisons
US - Inmate Deaths Raise Questions About Temperatures in Oklahoma Prisons
Asia
Human rights commission urges Korea to abolish death penalty
https://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20231010000622
Fire in Lebanese prison leaves 3 dead and 16 injured
Malaysia - Home Ministry studying possibility of home detention, suspended sentencing as part of prison reform
Europe
Prison places in England and Wales are ‘bust’, says governors’ union chief
Over 100,000 children in England and Wales have parent in prison, analysis shows
England and Wales - Indeterminate prison sentences – when 18 months can last 18 years
https://www.channel4.com/news/indeterminate-prison-sentences-when-18-months-can-last-18-years
England and Wales - Drug use 'rife' at HMP Dartmoor as watchdog slams Devon prison
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/drug-use-rife-hmp-dartmoor-8816602
England and Wales - Lancaster prison criticised after inmate is kept chained to officers as he dies of Covid-19
England and Wales - Fred Sirieix opens restaurant in Welsh prison
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/fred-sirieix-opens-restaurant-welsh-27840805
England and Wales - Ministry of Justice triggers Operation Safeguard as HMP Elmley on Sheppey ‘reaches capacity’ with problems ‘all across the county’
Scotland's prison population projected to hit record high
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-67004354
Scotland - Prison chiefs urged to tackle ‘cramped’ living conditions in HMP Perth
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/courts/4773963/perth-prison-inspection-cells/
Oceania
Australia - Woman in spit hood told Queensland prison guards four times she couldn’t breathe before dying, inquest hears
Australia - NSW women’s prison lacking hundreds of security cameras despite guard sexually assaulting detainees
New Zealand - Christchurch Men’s Prison reaches ‘operational capacity’, prisoners moved to other sites
New Zealand - Prison document reveals staff concerns over increasingly violent youth
News 4 October
Africa
Uganda - Send to jail only those who deserve to be there – CJ
Americas
Honduras, the country where the Bukele method failed
US - For Incarcerated Women and Their Families, Equal Access to Education Transforms Lives
https://www.vera.org/news/women-in-prison-need-equal-access-to-education
US (California) - Solitary Confinement Reform And Other Bills May Get A Second Chance In 2024
https://witnessla.com/solitary-confinement-reform-and-other-bills-may-get-a-second-chance-in-2024/
US - Pennsylvania inmates sue over ‘torturous conditions’ of solitary confinement
Venezuela’s Neverending Prison Crisis
https://www.caracaschronicles.com/2023/10/03/venezuelas-neverending-prison-crisis/
Asia
India - Uttarakhand govt to hike minimum wages of prisoners employed in prison labour
Philippines - Solons want BJMP, BuCor’s records system to go digital
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1840679/solons-want-bjmp-bucors-records-system-to-go-digital
Europe
England and Wales - UK could rent space in foreign jails to ease shortage of cells
England and Wales - Prison inmates ‘at risk of death’ due to healthcare failings, says inquest report
England and Wales - ‘I collapsed and woke up in handcuffs’: Prison isn’t safe for pregnant women, so why are we locking them up?
Ireland - Call for additional funding to address prison overcrowding
https://www.irishlegal.com/articles/call-for-additional-funding-to-address-prison-overcrowding
Malta - ‘Inhumane cage’ in prison removed ahead of European inspection
Scotland's prisons under 'acute pressure' as populations rise by almost 10 per cent
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/scotlands-prisons-under-acute-pressure-155212460.html
Oceania
Australia (Victoria) - Guard’s keys stolen, inmates hospitalised after ‘affray’ inside juvenile prison
News 3 October
Africa
Uganda – Prisons turn inmates into cotton farmers
https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/prisons-turns-inmates-into-cotton-farmers-NV_171664
Americas
US - Bill aims to lower price markups, ease financial burdens in California prisons
Asia
Cambodia - Random drug tests to target prison officials, inmates: GDP
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/random-drug-tests-target-prison-officials-inmates-gdp
A more humane approach to prison life offers lessons for Hong Kong
Five inmates slay guards, flee Myanmar’s Dawei prison
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/escape-10022023142116.html
Europe
Cyprus - Juvenile prison plans in final stages
https://cyprus-mail.com/2023/10/02/juvenile-prison-plans-in-final-stages/
England and Wales - Criminals may be freed early to ease overcrowding as prison crisis laid bare
England and Wales - ‘You cr** where you eat’: Grim state of UK prisons revealed as inmates crammed into cells for 23 hours a day
England and Wales - HMP Aylesbury makes 'remarkable' improvement, report says
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-66984123
England and Wales - HMP Five Wells officers 'left alone with 64 prisoners'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-66984322
Scotland - Psychoactive drugs making inmates violent and aggressive
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66985699
News 30 September – 2 October
Africa
Uganda – Costly incarceration: Elderly inmates plead for more support
https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/report/costly-incarceration-elderly-inmates-plead-fo-NV_171451
Americas
US - ‘There’s geniuses in there’: how three chefs rose from prison to the top of the culinary world
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/oct/02/chefs-from-prison-to-top-of-culinary-world
US - Texas prisons are as hot as ovens. I’m being cooked like a rotisserie chicken
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/01/texas-prison-extreme-heat-diary
Asia
India - Undertrials in jail for long should get bail even if offence serious: Bombay High Court
Calm returns to Iran prison after protest by inmates, state media report
Singapore - Salvation Army initiatives allow prisoners to play with their kids, join support groups
Europe
England and Wales - 'Serious concern' about Long Lartin as prison boss calls for closures
England and Wales - 'A prison officer will get killed': Staff warn of chaos and violence inside flagship super prison
England and Wales - HMP Lewes should no longer be used, says watchdog
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/23819399.hmp-lewes-no-longer-used-says-watchdog/
England and Wales - Prisoners Building Homes scheme nominated for prestigious award
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/prisoners-building-homes-scheme-nominated-8781803
Oceania
New Zealand - Women's prisons should routinely offer pregnancy tests on arrival, inspectorate recommends
News 29 September
Africa
Nigeria - Prison congestion: stakeholders blame state laws
https://thenationonlineng.net/prison-congestion-stakeholders-blame-state-laws/
Americas
UN Report Urges End to Forced US Prison Labor—a 'Contemporary Form of Slavery'
https://www.commondreams.org/news/racism-in-the-criminal-justice-system
The Largest Form of Criminal Punishment in the United States Is Not Prison. It’s Still Awful.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/09/prison-probation-parole-reform-mass-incarceration.html
US - Louisiana pulls incarcerated girls out of controversial youth prison
https://www.ksla.com/2023/09/28/louisiana-pulls-incarcerated-girls-out-controversial-youth-prison/
Europe
Plan for 20,000 more prison places in England and Wales won’t be complete until 2030
Criminals in England and Wales spared jail sentences because of overcrowding
England and Wales - We should all care about the dire state of our prisons
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-state-of-our-prisons-should-worry-us/
England and Wales - New Prison Education Service to cut crime
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-prison-education-service-to-cut-crime
England and Wales - 11 years for stealing a mobile phone: Inside the lives of IPP prisoners serving sentences of 'psychological torture'
England and Wales - How young people in prison are getting a fresh start by giving free haircuts to the homeless
England and Wales - Lancashire super prison public inquiry reopening is delayed
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-66947245
England and Wales - Immediate action to improve HMP Woodhill
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/immediate-action-to-improve-hmp-woodhill
Russia's Harsh Prison System Is 'A Bottomless Reservoir Of Mercenaries,' Says Rights Advocate
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-prison-system-interview-olga-romanova/32614416.html
Sweden to build special prison wards for young offenders
https://english.news.cn/20230929/66e2de0ce90d4da09ea8964a912513e3/c.html
Oceania
Western Australia - Isolation 'should be outlawed' for youth justice system
https://www.mandurahmail.com.au/story/8369096/isolation-should-be-outlawed-for-youth-justice-system/
News 27 – 28 September
Americas
Canada - ‘I feel at peace’: Iqaluit inmates learn carving skills
https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/i-feel-at-peace-iqaluit-inmates-learn-carving-skills/
US - ‘It’s torture’: Solitary confinement tests limits of California prison reform
https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/solitary-confinement-prison-reform-18369739.php
US (North Carolina) - NC prison staffer sounds alarm on overcrowding, neglect of basic prisoner health and safety
Asia
India - From Creche To Immunisation Centres, Tihar Jail Attempts Give Better Services To Female Prisoners' Children
Myanmar - Prisons Increase Restrictions Curb on Food Parcels for Inmates
https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/prisons-increase-restrictions-curb-food-parcels-inmates
Europe
Belgium - No short-term miracle solution for prisons, unions say
https://www.brusselstimes.com/712074/no-short-term-miracle-solution-for-prisons-unions-say
England and Wales - Prisons ‘out of control’ as drug testing regime millions over budget and targets missed
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/prison-drug-testing-targets-missed-b2419719.html
England and Wales - Criminal gangs in UK sending recruits to train as prison officers, union warns
Pepper spray could be used at young offender institutions in England and Wales
England and Wales - Psychologists having to talk to young offenders through cell doors
England and Wales - HMP Littlehey criticised after ill inmate left on toilet for 14 hours
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-66913295
England and Wales - Record number of trials adjourned over failure to bring suspects from prison to court
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/trial-prisons-court-backlog-delays-b2414412.html
Improved governance at supervised prison units in Northern Ireland, review finds
Turkey - Report exposes systematic rights violations of prisoners in Tarsus jail
Oceania
New Zealand - Inspectorate Report Examines Women In Prison Who Have Young Children
News 26 September
Africa
Kenya - Contagious scabies scare reported at Kakamega GK Prison
Americas
US - Supreme Court's interpretation of the word "and" could affect thousands of prison sentences each year
US - Dozens of inmates at Utah prison infected in scabies outbreak
US - Why are hundreds of Missourians stuck in jail, not treated for mental health issues?
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-09-hundreds-missourians-stuck-mental-health.html
Asia
India - Parliamentary panel bats for better facilities for women prisoners
Europe
One in 10 prisons in England and Wales should be shut down, watchdog says
Violence, isolation and rat-infested cells: insiders on the state of English and Welsh prisons
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/25/insiders-on-the-state-of-english-and-welsh-prisons
The state of prisons in England and Wales – in numbers
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/sep/26/the-state-of-prisons-in-england-and-wales-in-numbers
England and Wales - ‘Antiquated’ Pentonville Prison found unfit as place for prisoners to live or be rehabilitated
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/hmp-pentonville-prison-unfit-inmates-b2418506.html
England and Wales - Exeter Prison failures linked to prisoner's death
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/exeter-prison-failures-linked-prisoners-8778574
England and Wales - HMP Highpoint: Restraint use on ill prisoner 'inappropriate', says watchdog
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-66865904
Ireland - Solutions to prison overcrowding
https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/2023/09/26/solutions-to-prison-overcrowding/
News 23 – 25 September
Americas
US prison labor is cruel and pointless legalized slavery. I know first-hand
US - Why Are So Many Inmates at This Federal Prison Dying?
https://www.npr.org/2023/09/22/1198908174/why-are-so-many-inmates-at-this-federal-prison-dying
Venezuela completes first phase of retaking control of prisons run by prisoners
Asia
India - SC calls for compassion in release of long-term prisoners
India - Released prison inmates given business kits
Nepal - Govt grants general amnesty to 7,000 prisoners over five years
Europe
Cyprus - Prison union calls for end to understaffing amidst inmate clash
https://cyprus-mail.com/2023/09/22/prison-union-calls-for-end-to-understaffing-amidst-inmate-clash/
England and Wales - Prison inmates row 510 miles for charity
https://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/community/183741/prison-inmates-row-510-miles-for-charity.html
England and Wales - Hayling Island: Criminals choose beach clean over prison
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-66889416
Inspector criticises 'degrading' Irish prison conditions
https://www.fm104.ie/news/fm104-news/inspector-criticises-degrading-irish-prison-conditions/
Scotland - Overcrowding at HMP Addiewell laid bare as prison reached 'over 100 per cent capacity'
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/overcrowding-hmp-addiewell-laid-bare-31001792
Prison officials in eastern Turkey hogtied two female inmates for hours: report
News 22 September
Americas
US - Texas inmate killed by cellmate during a statewide prison lockdown
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/21/texas-prisons-lockdown-inmate-killed/
US (Alabama) - Corrections in ‘tough situation’ over staffing, crowding, aging prison population
VR transports users to notorious Venezuelan prison: ‘The world needs to know’
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/09/22/venezuela-torture-virtual-reality-helicoide/
Asia
India - Parliamentary panel recommends GPS trackers to reduce overcrowding in prisons
India - Prisoner’s rights don’t part ways at jail gates: Madras High Court
India - Raised behind bars: How Tihar takes care of inmates' kids
Critics claim drug use clemency proposal to reduce overcrowding in Indonesia’s prisons shortsighted
Thailand to clamp down on cannabis use in major U-turn on drug policy
Europe
Cyprus - Brawl at Nicosia prison contained by guards
https://cyprus-mail.com/2023/09/21/brawl-at-nicosia-prison-contained-by-guards/
Scots prisons 'bursting at seams' as inmates sharing single cells due to overcrowding crisis
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/prisons-bursting-seams-inmates-sharing-30993781
Suicide risk in male incarcerated individuals in Spain: clinical, criminological and prison-related correlates
https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-023-01315-y
Oceania
Australia - Community to benefit from prison dairy program supplying milk to WA jails
News 21 September
End overreliance on punitive measures to address drugs problem – UN report
Americas
More than 5,600 Jamaicans empowered with restorative justice skills
US - Final price tag on Alabama’s new 4,000-bed prison could top $1 billion
US - Private Prison Firm Pays Mississippi $5 Million After Audit Found Understaffing Issues
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2023/09/20/741126.htm
US - Texas' lockdown of its overheated state prisons is worsening an already volatile situation
Venezuela sends 11,000 troops to retake prison
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-66873494
Asia
India - Literacy lessons for jail inmates
Iran - Psychological and Mental Torture of Female Prisoners in Qarchak Prison by Inhumane Sentences
Europe
England and Wales - Childhood in care raises risk of entering English youth justice system eightfold
England and Wales - HMP Foston Hall: Council approves expansion of prison
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-66875049
England and Wales - Wrexham: HMP Berwyn given food hygiene rating of one
https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/23803976.wrexham-hmp-berwyn-given-food-hygiene-rating-one/
Scotland - Lack of scrutiny of prison healthcare standards ‘a national disgrace’, MSPs told
Oceania
Australia - Better use of tech in prisons would help with transition back into society, says researcher
https://phys.org/news/2023-09-tech-prisons-transition-society.html
News 20 September
Africa
Cabo Verde: Total of 2,100 inmates in jails, 34pct more than in 2018 – minister
Kenyan prison warden shares rare glimpse into inmates’ hidden world
Can Zimbabwe’s First ‘Open Prison’ for Women Open Doors to a New Life?
Americas
US - Juvenile Life Without Parole Sentences Are a Failed Policy That Needs to End
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/juvenile-life-without-parole-sentences
US - Can restorative justice break the cycle of mass incarceration?
US - Nebraska prison report raises concern about long-term solitary confinement
US - California Inmates Accuse Prison Commissaries of Price Gouging
https://capitalandmain.com/california-inmates-accuse-prison-commissaries-of-price-gouging
US - South Carolina obtains lethal injection drugs to carry out death penalty again after decade-long hiatus
US - Florida prisons use artificial intelligence to surveil calls
Asia
India - Poor people are more prone to detention, says Supreme Court’s justice SK Kaul
Nepal president pardons jail term of 670 prisoners
https://telanganatoday.com/nepal-president-pardons-jail-term-of-670-prisoners
Philippines - Hope behind bars: Transforming lives through livelihood training
Europe
England and Wales - Prisoners at Lancashire jail wait too long for their complaints to be heard due to staffing levels
https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/prisoners-lancashire-jail-wait-long-27735737
Oceania
Australia - Queensland Human Rights Commission recommends ridding women's prisons of traumatising strip searches
News 19 September
Americas
Canada - Oral surgeon pleads guilty to letting prison guard do dental work on sedated inmate
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/bourget-pleads-guilty-1.6970109
I spent nine years in a Colombian women’s prison. This is what I learned
Incarceration rates, falling in every US state, drive significant shifts in risk of prison for marginalized groups
US - Incarcerated Seniors Lack Access to Hospice Care
https://hospicenews.com/2023/09/18/incarcerated-seniors-lack-access-to-hospice-care/
Asia
India - People Remaining Behind Bars As Undertrials A Disturbing Trend : Supreme Court Judge Justice SK Kaul
India - At Delhi jails, warm water in winters for inmates soon
Europe
England and Wales - Inspectors urge independent review into ‘struggling’ Probation Service
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/probation-damien-bendall-england-wales-b2413932.html
England and Wales - HMP Foston Hall: New prison 'apartments' would allow children overnight
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-66841181
England and Wales - Inside Preston Prison: Rat-infested wings, poor living conditions and 'heavy-handed staff'
https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/inside-preston-prison-rat-infested-27735337
England and Wales - Prisoner who heard voices from 'pig man' died at jail where mental health care 'not of required standard'
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/prisoner-who-heard-voices-pig-27737973
Oceania
New Zealand - Quarter of all youth going through the courts given adult sentences
News 16 – 18 September
Africa
Africa Court orders Tanzania to end caning in jail sentences
Americas
US - Bureau Of Prisons’ Challenges With First Step Act Release Dates
US - Louisiana prisoner suit claims they’re forced to endure dangerous conditions at Angola prison farm
US - More people are dying in Louisiana prisons, some before getting a trial
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/reports-shows-staggering-spike-in-louisiana-prison-deaths
US - Oklahoma is set to execute 10th man in less than two years
https://www.readfrontier.org/stories/oklahoma-is-set-to-execute-10th-man-in-less-than-two-years/
Asia
Indian jail sets shining example for prison reform as inmates polish diamonds
Jordan - 351 prison alternative penalties issued in August – MoJ
Nepal - Rautahat jail overcrowded, prisoners face sheer inconvenience
Europe
England and Wales - Urgent calls for swift action in self-harm related prison deaths
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/prison-self-harm-deaths-daniel-khalife-b2413313.html
England and Wales - Almost 3,000 prisoners remain incarcerated under IPPs
https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/23792410.almost-3-000-prisoners-remain-incarcerated-ipps/
England and Wales - The toxic prison attitude that can cost inmates their lives
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-inmates-dont-get-the-healthcare-they-need/
England and Wales - Britain’s broken justice system revealed as prisoners trapped in jail for five years before trial
Oceania
Australian state suspends human rights law to lock up more children
Australian-First Aboriginal Healing Unit In Prison Opens
https://www.miragenews.com/australian-first-aboriginal-healing-unit-in-1086006/
New Zealand - Nationwide crisis looms as Corrections staff consider strike action
https://www.chrislynchmedia.com/news-items/corrections-staff-across-new-zealand-to-go-on-strike
News 15 September
Africa
Rights groups call for 'international inspection' of Egypt’s prisons after leaked videos allegedly show abuses
https://www.newarab.com/news/inspection-egypts-prisons-demanded-after-leaked-videos
Americas
Bahamas - Acting Prison Commissioner ‘making progress’ in efforts to become licenced as correctional facility
http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/sep/14/acting-prison-commissioner-making-progress-efforts/
Canada - Mental health and prison: a tragic cycle that repeats itself
Salvadoran Prisons House Over 105,000 Inmates
https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Salvadoran-Prisons-House-Over-105000-Inmates-20230914-0010.html
US - Appeals court temporarily halts order to move juvenile detainees from Louisiana adult prison
Asia
Taiwan - Taipei Prison censured by Control Yuan over mistreatment of prisoners
https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202309140029
Europe
England and Wales - Justice Committee to examine the future prison population and estate capacity
England and Wales - Crown court backlog hits new record high with more than 64,000 cases waiting
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/court-backlog-record-high-england-b2411465.html
Turkey - Protest against torture of women in Patnos prison
https://anfenglish.com/human-rights/protest-against-torture-of-women-in-patnos-prison-69314
News 14 September
Africa
Kenyans don’t trust the courts - the main factors behind this trend
https://theconversation.com/kenyans-dont-trust-the-courts-the-main-factors-behind-this-trend-212710
Americas
Canada - Officers have filed scores of scathing reports about 'unfit' conditions at HMP. We obtained them
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/hmp-reporting-system-1.6962802
U.S. prisons chief insists to Senate panel there’s been ‘visible change’ in the system
Asia
Bahrain prison hunger strike ‘ended’: officials
https://guardian.ng/news/bahrain-prison-hunger-strike-ended-officials/
Philippines - CHR backs measure on prisons monitoring
https://manilastandard.net/news/national/314370113/chr-backs-measure-on-prisons-monitoring.html
Europe
England and Wales - Our prisons are in crisis
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/our-prisons-are-in-crisis-2/
England and Wales - HMP Wakefield: Calls for action over conditions at city’s high security jail
https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/hmp-wakefield-calls-action-over-132000866.html
Wim Hof activities and yoga for La Moye prison inmates funded by Jersey government grant
Scotland - Why Britain’s new £85m women’s ‘superjail’ has got off to an awful start
News 13 September
Americas
Canada - An overdose prevention site for inmates is coming to this Ontario prison
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/overdose-prevention-service-collins-bay-prison-1.6960429
US - New report examines how Kentucky fills jails and prisons by criminalizing poverty
Europe
The dire state of British prisons – and what they could learn from Europe to get better
England and Wales - Fears prisons could be run by gangs as thousands of guards quit
England and Wales - David Morgan: Dead prisoner shown 'shocking lack of concern' by jail staff
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-66786214
Scotland - Number of inmates expected to soar as prison populace exceeds 8,000
Scotland - Prisons inspector warns delay to Barlinne rebuild would be 'travesty'
News 12 September
$1bn in aid has been used to support failed ‘war on drugs’ over past decade, says report
Americas
Canada - Indigenous-led restorative justice program in development in Peace Region
El Salvador Is Imprisoning People at Triple the Rate of the US
Jamaica - Restorative justice plays vital role in healing the nation, says acting director
US - Study finds probation associated with poorer health for Black Americans
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1001066
US - Louisiana prisons need better oversight of sentencing changes, auditor says
Asia
India - Jail staff trained to screen mentally ill prisoners in Odisha
Malaysia says death row prisoners can appeal sentences
Europe
Armenia ratifies Protocol N. 13 Concerning the Abolition of Death Penalty in All Circumstances
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1119279.html
England and Wales - Concerns at Wellingborough's £253m 'super prison' HMP Five Wells with drugs, hooch, mobiles and SIM cards and staff safety issues
Scotland - Overcrowded prisons are an indictment of a society that jails chaotic people – Karyn McCluskey
News 9 – 11 September
Americas
US - Louisiana’s Notorious Angola Prison Will No Longer Hold Children
US - As NH prison population declines, parole violators make up bigger share
Asia
India - SC-appointed panel on jail reforms slams solitary confinement of death row convicts — ‘most egregious’
India - Byculla Jail to be redeveloped into vertical prison
Malaysia - Law on revision of death penalty, life imprisonment comes into force Sept 12
Philippines - Bilibid shutdown by 2028 eyed
https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/09/09/news/national/bilibid-shutdown-by-2028-eyed/1909226
Saudi Arabia: 100 people executed as authorities continue relentless ‘killing spree’
Europe
England and Wales - Indefinite sentences should be suicide risk factor, says prisons watchdog
England and Wales - Around 40 inmates moved after HMP Wandsworth prison break
https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/23779420.around-40-inmates-moved-hmp-wandsworth-prison-break/
Italy - Inmate dies in Viterbo prison, another attempts suicide
Lord Advocate gives green light for safe drug consumption rooms in Scotland
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/lord-advocate-gives-green-light-30910581
Oceania
New Zealand - Election 2023: Māori Party want to abolish prisons by 2040, separate tikanga justice system to address inequities
News 8 September
World Coalition Publishes Country Mapping Report on Women on Death Row
Americas
Canada - Released prisoners should get help to reenter society, says Cowichan MP
Mexico Supreme Court decriminalizes abortion in landmark decision
Asia
Philippines - Bilibid inmate reveals 'lax' situation in maximum security prison
Europe
England and Wales - Terror suspect escape prompts furious political row over prison cuts
Amount of Raac in English and Welsh prisons won’t be known for at least two months
England and Wales - Guys Marsh prison's performance 'of concern' says report
England and Wales - HMP Wandsworth needs closing, says chief inspector of prisons
https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/hmp-wandsworth-needs-closing-says-221457039.html
Oceania
Australia - NSW Law Society welcomes planned expansion of drug court operations
News 7 September
Americas
In Bolivia’s Largest Prison, Inmates Make The Rule And There Are No Guards
US - Texas prison system issues statewide lockdown to combat illegal drugs, inmate violence
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/06/texas-prisons-contraband-visitors/
US - D.C. Councilmember Renews Push To Ban Solitary Confinement At D.C. Jail
https://dcist.com/story/23/09/06/nadeau-to-introduce-bill-solitary-confinement-dc-jail/
Asia
Cambodia - Top official calls for regular inspections of prisons
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501356341/top-official-calls-for-regular-inspections-of-prisons/
Hong Kong detention center overflowing as thousands serve time for protests
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/hk-prisons-overflowing-09062023102749.html
Nepal - Govt inhumanity in Central Jail: Overcrowding and dilapidated buildings increase risks to inmates
Europe
England and Wales - Record prison overcrowding ‘an embarrassment for UK’
https://www.thejusticegap.com/record-prison-overcrowding-an-embarrassment-for-uk/
Stop detaining children in Luxembourg Prison, urges anti-torture committee
Oceania
Australia - Supporting the ‘invisible victims’ of the criminal justice system
https://lsj.com.au/articles/supporting-the-invisible-victims-of-the-criminal-justice-system/
News 6 September
Africa
South Africa - Kutama Fire: Inside The Torching Of Limpopo's Maximum Security Prison
https://ewn.co.za/2023/09/06/kutama-fire-inside-the-torching-of-limpopo-s-maximum-security-prison
Americas
Are Ecuador’s Army, Police, and Prisons Beyond Reform?
https://insightcrime.org/news/ecuador-army-police-prisons-beyond-reform/
US - Florida’s ‘Two-Strikes’ Law Put Him in Prison for Life. Even His Victim Said It Was Too Harsh.
Asia
India - Denied basic facilities, women prisoners impacted far worse than men: SC panel on prison reforms
India - Is the Proposed Overhaul of the Criminal Justice System Decolonising or Recolonising the Law?
Europe
England and Wales - Report details life behind bars in Chelmsford Prison
https://www.yellowad.co.uk/report-details-life-behind-bars-in-chelmsford-prison/
England and Wales - Investigation launched after Shropshire prisoner died in custody
Turkey - Complaints of intolerable prison conditions surface from Edirne L-Type prison
News 5 September
Americas
Belize - Prison inmates drive road safety effort: Collaborative project with Ministry of Infrastructure & Kolbe Foundation
Ecuador’s prisons are increasingly violent
https://www.ruetir.com/2023/09/ecuadors-prisons-are-increasingly-violent/
US - Nitrogen Gas Executions Could Go Horribly Wrong. Here's Why
https://www.newsweek.com/nitrogen-gas-executions-could-horribly-wrong-1824353
US - Re-Entry One works to lower Florida’s reincarceration rate
https://www.newpelican.com/articles/re-entry-one-works-to-lower-floridas-reincarceration-rate/
Asia
Philippines - Lawmaker seeks reforms in PH correctional facilities
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1209185
Europe
England and Wales - Concerns raised over staffing levels at HMP Berwyn
https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/23756660.concerns-raised-staffing-levels-hmp-berwyn/
England and Wales - How I turned prisoners’ misery into reading pleasure: the brilliant story of Bang Up Books
England and Wales - HMP Lincoln officer didn't carry out welfare checks on prisoner who killed himself
https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/local-news/hmp-lincoln-officer-didnt-carry-8726303
Germany refuses to extradite man to UK over concerns about British jail conditions
Oceania
Australia (Victoria) - Ban detention for under-16s, justice inquiry tells govt
Northern Mariana Islands - Civil Rights committee examines health care for incarcerated people on Saipan
News 2- 4 September 2023
Prison architecture: Treading the fine line between the need for confinement and the ethics of freedom
Americas
Combating recidivism and promoting reintegration: Brazil’s experiment with prisons without guards
https://www.equaltimes.org/combating-recidivism-and-promoting
Canada - Prison Amazon accounts keep federal inmates stuck in the 1990s
Ecuador: Inmates in prison takeover free 57 hostages after 24-hour standoff
US - Prison Labour and Cambodian Supply Chains
https://impactpolicies.org/news/330/prison-labour-and-cambodian-supply-chains
US - I Worked in Federal Prison Sweatshops for 23 Cents an Hour
https://theintercept.com/2023/09/04/prison-labor-exploitation-america/
US (California) - Ending the Golden State Era of Solitary Confinement
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/09/02/california-new-york-prisons-solitary
US - ‘Astonishingly cruel’: Alabama seeks to test execution method on death row ‘guinea pig’
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/02/alabama-execution-nitrogen-kenneth-smith
Asia
Bangladesh - Prisons infrastructure creaking under weight of imprisoned population
Nepal - Custodial deaths go on as perpetrators are left unpunished
Europe
England and Wales - Number of offenders with indefinite sentences recalled to prison soars
England and Wales - UN highlights ‘psychological harm’ to UK man jailed since 2012 for phone theft
England and Wales - Concern over violence at HMP Berwyn after 'inmate influx'
https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/23756524.concern-violence-hmp-berwyn-inmate-influx/
Oceania
Australia - The blueprint to end Victoria’s ‘pipeline’ of Aboriginal kids into the justice system
News 1 September
Africa
Seychelles Prison Services transitioning to Seychelles Correctional Services in new strategic plan
South Africa - Prisoners were tortured at Leeuwkop prison, court finds
https://www.groundup.org.za/article/torture-case/
Americas
Ecuador prison violence: Dozens of guards taken hostage
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-66679911
US - Thousands of California inmates are sentenced to die in prison. Should some get to seek parole?
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article278461069.html
US - New Colorado laws improve communication services in prison, access to court proceedings
US - Florida uses unpaid prison labor to prepare for Hurricane Idalia
US - ACLU files wrongful death lawsuits over Alaska prison suicides
US - Oklahoma inches closer to eliminating private prisons
Asia
Cambodia - Nearly 400 inmates seek pardons, commutations
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501352676/nearly-400-inmates-seek-pardons-commutations/
Israel – Prisons to release 120 inmates to alleviate overcrowding
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-757063
Pakistan - Home secretary for gender sensitive training of jail staff
https://www.nation.com.pk/01-Sep-2023/home-secretary-for-gender-sensitive-training-of-jail-staff
Europe
England and Wales - HMP Woodhill: Call for emergency measures at 'unsafe' prison
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-66675838
England and Wales - Whitemoor prison review planned after March prisoner’s death
Oceania
New Zealand - Judge slams lack of allocated mental health beds for Whangārei courts
Papua New Guinea - PNG capital’s Bomana jail full – refusing any new prisoners
https://asiapacificreport.nz/2023/09/01/png-capitals-bomana-jail-full-refusing-any-new-prisoners/
News 31 August
Americas
Canada - Inmates in Her Majesty's Penitentiary say they feel hopeless, alone and increasingly unwell
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/her-majestys-penitentiary-1.6951813
US - California debates solitary confinement in local jails — and whether it’s really possible to end it
US - Dying and disabled Illinois prisoners kept behind bars, despite new medical release law
https://www.injusticewatch.org/news/prisons-and-jails/2023/illinois-medical-release-law-failing/
Asia
UN expresses concern over continued hunger strike at Bahrain prison
India - Supreme Court panel suggests suicide-resistant barracks in prison to curb deaths
Europe
England and Wales - UN torture expert urges government to review 'mess' left by indefinite prison sentences
England and Wales - Winchester Prison: Decaying buildings undermine jail's progress, report says
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-66658591
England and Wales - Offenders refusing to attend sentencing will spend longer in prison
England and Wales - HMP Leeds: Long cell 'lock-ups' blamed as Armley prison now has second highest suicide rate in country
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/hmp-leeds-lengthy-cell-lock-104500234.html
England and Wales - North Sea Camp open prison criticised over 'cramped' cells
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-66668692
Greece: Anti-Torture Panel Decries Korydallos Prison Hospital Conditions
https://www.miragenews.com/greece-anti-torture-panel-decries-korydallos-1075492/
Scotland - Prisoner death rate more than trebled in a decade, report reveals
Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service statement on prisoner escort services
Oceania
Australia - Suicide of Indigenous man Mr Blanket in WA prison was due to lack of safe cells, coroner finds
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-31/mr-blanket-coronial-inquest-findings-acacia-prison/102798446
News 30 August
Americas
Canada - High number of prison breaks from federal healing lodges: Report
https://torontosun.com/news/national/high-number-of-prison-breaks-from-federal-healing-lodges-report
US - Florida evacuates 4,000 prisoners from 35 facilities statewide ahead of hurricane
Norway Aids in Humanizing U.S. Prison Systems
https://www.miragenews.com/norway-aids-in-humanizing-us-prison-systems-1074204/
Asia
India - SC seeks views of Centre, states on prison reforms report in three weeks
Malaysia - First-time non-serious offenders should not be sent to prison
Europe
England and Wales - Government spends millions on overspill prison cells in police stations, exclusive data reveals
England and Wales - Housing inmates in police cells ‘predictable mess’, says former head of prison service
England and Wales - Leeds charity's success at giving prisoners a chance
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-66651855
Scotland - Young prisoner dies in custody three days after being remanded by Aberdeen sheriff
https://www.aberdeenlive.news/news/aberdeen-news/young-prisoner-dies-just-three-8712018
News 25 – 29 August
Americas
Canada - CCLA Calls For Immediate Reforms To Prison Strip Searches In Ontario, Implementation Of Body Scanners As Alternative
US - ‘Like being inside an oven’: Extreme weather batters imprisoned people
US - Report Spotlights Horrific Conditions in Solitary Confinement in Alabama Prisons
US - Missouri prisons ban friends and family from sending books to prisoners
US - Covid Outbreak Prompts Restrictions At Hawaii’s Largest Prison
https://www.civilbeat.org/beat/covid-outbreak-prompts-restrictions-at-hawaiis-largest-prison/
Asia
‘Slow murder’: Hundreds of prisoners stage Bahrain’s largest hunger strike
India - PIL in HC stokes a debate on prison inmates’ right to conjugal visits
India - Tihar Jail’s novel scheme to generate employment within prison system
Europe
Risk of homelessness after prison release and recidivism in Denmark: a nationwide, register-based cohort study
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(23)00152-4/fulltext
England and Wales - Prisons are at breaking point
https://www.newstatesman.com/comment/2023/08/prisons-breaking-point
England and Wales - 'Life means life': Government to expand whole-life prison sentences for most depraved killers
https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/government-expand-whole-life-order-prison-sentences/
England and Wales - Prison and probation staffing dangerously low after botched privatisation
England and Wales - HMP Gartree: Decision over new prison delayed again
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-66628036
England and Wales - Urgent action to improve HMP Bristol
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/urgent-action-to-improve-hmp-bristol
Guernsey - New cookery course offered to prison inmates
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce4vjxnqy50o
Ireland - €300,000 to be spent on assessing prisoners' mental health
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41214478.html
Turkey - 9,000 inmates who benefited from COVID-19 release have failed to return to prison
Oceania
Australia - Mothers in prison embrace a parenting program to strengthen bonds with separated children
Australia - Queensland government repeatedly ignored warnings two years ago of youth prison overcrowding
Australia - Prison Service defends lockdowns as Tasmanian inmate's mum complains of 'inhumane treatment' at remand centre
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-29/tas-remand-centre-locked-down-for-five-days-inmate/102783504
News 24 August
Africa
Gambia - Mile II Central Prisons Has Digital Records And Clinic Facilities As Part Of Ongoing Reforms
Ghana - Youth form 85% of prison inmates - Ages range between 12-35
South Africa: Analysis - the Troubled History of Mangaung Prison
https://allafrica.com/stories/202308240021.html
Asia
China - Legal aid measures due to take effect
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202308/23/WS64e5f07ea31035260b81dd32.html
India - Draft report on prison reforms: House panel suggests transfer of prisoners from congested jails
India - Calcutta High Court flags concerns over failure to implement prison reforms despite Supreme Court directive of 1978
Philippines - DOJ: Prisoners’ food budget still at P70 in 2024
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2023/08/24/2290908/doj-prisoners-food-budget-still-p70-2024
Europe
Scotland - Understanding women’s experience of justice
https://www.gov.scot/news/understanding-womens-experience-of-justice/
Number of prisoners declines under new law, but overcrowding persists in Turkish prisons
Oceania
Australia - Sydney woman and former prisoner designing 'survival guide' for inmates to help navigate system
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-24/sydney-woman-designs-online-tool-female-prisoners/102767066
News 23 August
Africa
CJ Koome urges Kenyans to embrace alternative justice processes
https://www.kbc.co.ke/cj-koome-urges-kenyans-to-embrace-alternative-justice-processes/
Americas
Brazil Has The Third Largest Female Prison Population In The World- Report
Canada - His brother died in an Ontario jail. Advocates say calls for reform to prevent such deaths are being ignored
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/inmate-suicide-toronto-jail-1.6943729
Ecuador should hold violent convicts on prison boats, says presidential hopeful Noboa
Inside El Salvador's mega-prison holding 12,000 alleged gangsters
https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/video/inside-el-salvadors-mega-prison-015757206.html
US - Walmart probes use of prison labour in Cambodia
US - The First Step Act: Ending Mass Incarceration in Federal Prisons
US - Oregon women's prison report raises red flags; acting director, governor respond
Asia
India - Prolonged Incarceration Of Undertrial Prisoners Violates Constitutional Principles Of Dignity & Liberty: SC Releases Nigerian Citizen In Jail For 9 Years
Lebanon: Harrowing Prison Conditions
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/08/23/lebanon-harrowing-prison-conditions
Pakistan - Swift implementation of juvenile justice act demanded
https://www.dawn.com/news/1771618/swift-implementation-of-juvenile-justice-act-demanded
Sri Lanka - Disease hit Galle prison to keep inmates out of Courts
Europe
England and Wales - Portland YOI given 'performance of concern' rating in latest report
https://planetradio.co.uk/greatest-hits/dorset/news/portland-yoi-performance-of-concern-rating/
Oceania
Australia (Queensland) - Human rights fury over bid to amend Youth Justice Act
https://au.news.yahoo.com/human-rights-fury-over-bid-085942650.html
News 19-22 August
Americas
US - As the death toll in stifling Texas prisons climbs, congressional Democrats ask for investigation
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/21/texas-prison-heat-deaths/
US - New York is building the world’s tallest jail in Chinatown. Can anyone stop it?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/21/new-york-jail-chinatown-rikers-island
US - Inside a ‘Nightmare’ Lockdown at a Wisconsin Prison
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/19/us/wisconsin-prison-lockdown.html
Asia
Bahrain: Hundreds of prisoners on hunger strike over inhumane living conditions
Hong Kong heatwave prompts calls for cooler prisons, but lawmakers draw line at air conditioning for inmates
India - State prison dept hikes wages of inmates
India - Prison capacity to be ramped up by 6,000 in Maharashtra
Iran Executes Eight More Over Past 72 Hours In Prison 'Killing Fields'
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-executes-8-72-ours-prison-amnesty-killing-fields/32557674.html
Europe
Recall rules to be eased on indefinite jail sentences in England and Wales
England and Wales - Anger as suspects locked up in limbo for up to three years as their lives fall apart
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/anger-suspects-locked-up-limbo-30734460
Pain-inducing restraints to be banned in England and Wales children’s prisons
Ireland - Alternatives to short prison sentences
https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/2023/08/22/alternatives-to-short-prison-sentences/
Ireland - Prison service to retain old Cork Prison site due to overcrowding
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-41209651.html
Poland fills prisons with white-collar crime suspects
https://www.ft.com/content/445140ab-fd7d-4433-b7ad-96959e739e7f
News 18 August
Africa
South Africa - More fatalities at Kutama Sinthumule prison, says Lamola
Americas
US - Prison Healthcare Means Not Knowing What’s Slowly Destroying My Body
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/08/18/prison-mystery-illness-wellpath-appointment-delays
US - Oregon fails to support women in prison, report finds
https://www.opb.org/article/2023/08/17/coffee-creek-oregon-womens-prison-report-calls-for-changes/
US - Suicide Watch Incidents in Louisiana Prisons Spike by Nearly a Third on Extreme Heat Days, a New Study Finds
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18082023/louisiana-prisons-heat-suicide-study/
Asia
India’s supreme court issues handbook against use of archaic terms for women
India - Prison department prepares inmates’ profile for premature release
Europe
England and Wales - Woodhill Prison looks to tackle staff shortages
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-66437913
England and Wales - Fry and Waal support prison reading research project
https://www.thebookseller.com/news/fry-and-waal-support-prison-reading-research-project
England and Wales - HMP Wakefield and New Hall prison's performance rating has worsened since Covid
https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/hmp-wakefield-hall-prisons-performance-102958663.html
Ireland - Restorative justice plan likely to leave ‘significant gaps’
https://www.irishlegal.com/articles/restorative-justice-plan-likely-to-leave-significant-gaps
Welsh Affairs Committee launch follow up inquiry to examine Prisons in Wales
News 17 August
Africa
South Africa - Thousands of non-violent offenders due for early release from prison
Americas
Canada - COVID-19 outbreaks continued in Sask. jails after public disclosures ceased: documents
The Timebomb That Exploded Twice: Behind The Massacres in Honduras' Women's Prison
https://insightcrime.org/investigations/institutions-gangs-violence-honduras-women-prison/
US - This Therapy Helps Formerly Incarcerated People Return to Society
US - Inmates at California women's prison sue federal government over sexual abuse
US - Ohio death row inmates spend 21 years waiting for execution date
https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/08/16/ohio-death-row-inmates-spend-21-years-waiting-execution-date/
Asia
India - Win for transparency: Parliamentary committee recommends mandatory annual reports for high courts
UAE - Dubai prisoners hope cooking classes will offer second chance at life
Europe
Ireland - Sharp increase in number of very short prison terms being imposed by judges
Ireland - Quarter of prisoners fail or refuse to take drugs test
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41206960.html
News 16 August
Africa
Nigeria - ‘Correctional Service Reforms Will Improve Penal Administration’
https://leadership.ng/correctional-service-reforms-will-improve-penal-administration/
Americas
US - Hearing begins over incarcerated youths being held at Louisiana’s maximum-security prison
https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-angola-youth-prison-bb370b514e95552e19575e6eb83405e7
US - Study: S.C. prisons have the U.S.’s third-highest population of convicted children
Asia
New IPC, CrPC bill: Is India's planned criminal law reform a game-changer?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-66495428
India - Here's How Maharashtra Govt Plans To Improve Conditions In Jails
Europe
England and Wales - 'Significant deterioration' at HMP Lowdham Grange with rising violence and self-harm after operator change
https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/hmp-lowdham-grange-unsafe-rising-8679218
England and Wales - 'Remarkably safe' Aylesbury Vale prison must improve education services following inspection
Ukrainian prisoners of war say they were tortured at Russian prison
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66453692
News 9 – 15 August
Africa
South Africa - Pay up or dry up: Johannesburg disconnects water at Leeuwkop Prison for R9.8 million debt
Americas
Brazil - Senate committee approves DNA collection of prison inmates
https://brazilian.report/liveblog/politics-insider/2023/08/10/prison-inmates-dna-collection/
Canada - 'Not much has changed': Sudbury, Ont. advocates decry lack of support services in northern Ontario jails
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/sudbury-prisoners-justice-day-supports-2023-1.6931649
Ecuador's government sending troops and police to take control of prison zone
US - What the New Wave of Prison Art Tells Us About Incarceration Today
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/08/12/prison-art-exhibit-gallery-incarceration
US - Texas claims spike in prison deaths isn't heat-related. Study says that can’t be true.
US - Hawaii Inmates Are Kept Behind Bars To Complete Programs They Can’t Get Into
Asia
Bahrain prisoners on hunger strike demanding better conditions
India - I-Day: Delhi Prisons DG announces remission for 1,300 convicts, 1,200 CCTV cameras for enhanced security
Israel - Prisons in crisis with overcrowding, abject conditions - public defender
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-754183
National forum discusses abolishing death penalty in Jordan
https://en.royanews.tv/news/43703/2023-08-10
Surge in Executions As Singapore Clears ‘Backlog’ of Death Row Dealers
https://www.vice.com/en/article/xgwvqd/singapore-drug-executions
Sri Lanka - New mechanism to reduce burden of prisons on Treasury
Europe
England and Wales - Kirkham prison is performing worse than it did before the pandemic, according to Ministry of Justice figures
Ireland - Prisoner critical after attack in Mountjoy Prison, another dies by suicide
Italy’s justice minister visits prison where 2 inmates died as advocates warn of summertime suicides
Scotland - Innovative project allows play time for children and parents within prison walls
Oceania
Australia - Potentially hundreds of conversations live-streamed from bugged Risdon Prison room, Tasmanian government reveals
Australia - Bail reforms set to keep more Victorians out of jail
https://au.sports.yahoo.com/bail-reforms-set-keep-more-222432589.html
New Zealand - Justice system bogged down in 'delays of two to three years' for trials
News 8 August
Americas
Canadian prisons need international oversight to prevent human rights violations
Asia
How Does Pakistan’s Prison System Work? | TLDR
https://www.dawn.com/news/1768899/how-does-pakistans-prison-system-work-tldr-dawn-news-english
Europe
England and Wales - Prison and probation staffing dangerously low
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66431061
England and Wales - ‘I never knew what horrors were happening in there’: the show giving Woodhill prisoners’ bereaved families a voice
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2023/aug/07/woodhill-prison-deaths
Ireland - Obstetrician will lead access to specialist women’s health in Limerick Prison
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-41199934.html
Oceania
Australia - Inmates asked to ramp up home building for First Nations communities in New South Wales
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-08/inmates-build-more-homes-nsw-indigenous-communities/102696502
Australia - Custodial Services report finds Broome Prison offers 'no meaningful rehabilitation'
News 4 – 7 August
Africa
Kenyan prisons are choking with young, petty offenders
Nigeria - 4,204 persons sent to prison in four months – Report
https://punchng.com/4204-persons-sent-to-prison-in-four-months-report/
‘Fit for pigs’: Conditions in overcrowded Zimbabwe prisons choke inmates
Americas
British Virgin Islands - Too many in prison on remand, says Governor
https://bvinews.com/too-many-in-prison-on-remand-says-governor/
Ecuador prison staff arrested over drugs, weapons
https://www.postcourier.com.pg/ecuador-prison-staff-arrested-over-drugs-weapons/
St Vincent & the Grenadines - Murder convicts dominate the prison population
https://www.searchlight.vc/news/2023/08/04/murder-convicts-dominate-prison-population/
US - How 600-plus California inmates got more than 11,000 years cut off their prison sentences
US - New report: Virginia's prison population is growing older
https://www.wvtf.org/news/2023-08-04/new-report-virginias-prison-population-is-growing-older
US - Florida’s prisons face dual crisis: inmate boom and scorching heat wave
https://thecapitolist.com/floridas-prisons-face-dual-crisis-inmate-boom-and-scorching-heat-wave/
US - Geriatric Jailbirds: Florida's Elderly Inmate Population Has Skyrocketed
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/floridas-elderly-prison-population-has-skyrocketed-17543669
Asia
Bangladesh - Prison reform is the need of the hour
https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/editorial/news/prison-reform-the-need-the-hour-3387876
As Korea moves to institute life sentences without parole, experts voice doubts over efficacy
https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1103343.html
Chaos behind Nepal’s prison bars
https://asianews.network/chaos-behind-nepals-prison-bars/
Nepal - Inmates set fire to jail in Jhapa
https://english.khabarhub.com/2023/04/313249/
Philippines - House bill seeks creation of Department of Corrections and Jail Management
As Singapore Hangs More Drug Offenders, Some Worry Cases Aren’t Always Clear-Cut
https://time.com/6301702/singapore-death-penalty-drug-cases/
Europe
England and Wales - Wrongfully convicted people will no longer have to pay living costs for time served in prison
Three-quarters of prisons in England and Wales in appalling conditions as overcrowding fears grow
‘I’ve watched people just fall apart’: inside the nightmare world of English and Welsh jails
Prison lawyers warn more will quit if legal aid fees not raised in England and Wales
England and Wales - HMP Foston Hall is transforming prison grounds and lives with blooming walled gardens
England and Wales - HMP Maidstone: Foreign prisoners held beyond sentence release dates
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-66386801
France’s overcrowded prison population reaches all-time high – for months on end
Irish Prison Service to be established as a statutory State body
Are Scotland's prisons fit for purpose?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66121355
Scotland - Perth prisoners hope to build new futures after constructing entire house inside jail
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/perth-kinross/4609882/perth-prison-construction-skills-academy/
News 3 August
Africa
South Africa - Correctional services dept capable of taking over Mangaung prison from G4S
Americas
Inside Brazil's 'subhuman prisons' where families camp outside to bring inmates food
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/inside-brazils-subhuman-prisons-families-30608557
US - Sexual Abuse in Women’s Federal Prison Facilities Reviewed by Justice Department Teams
https://www.aboutlawsuits.com/sexual-abuse-in-womens-prisons-review/
US - Florida inmates and prison officials grapple with ‘oppressive’ heat
US - Why the doctors who treat California's prison inmates are threatening to go on strike
US (California) - San Quentin State Prison inmates taught filmmaking under Hollywood producer-backed scheme
Asia
Singapore executes fifth prisoner this year for drug trafficking
Sri Lanka - Prison overcrowding can lead to serious consequences
https://www.ft.lk/ft_view__editorial/Prison-overcrowding-can-lead-to-seriousconsequences/58-751318
Europe
England and Wales - Five inmates die after taking spice laced with fentanyl as killer drug is rife in prisons, report reveals
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/23314363/five-inmates-die-spice-fentanyl-hmp-the-mount/
Human Rights Association publishes yearly report about the situation in Turkish prisons
News 2 August
Africa
South Africa - Mangaung prison firm fights to keep G4S contract operational
Americas
Firearms, Disappearances, Prison Overcrowding: Brazil’s Problems Are Getting Worse
https://insightcrime.org/news/firearms-disappearances-prison-overcrowding-brazil-getting-worse/
Hell at the gates of Litoral, the most dangerous prison in Ecuador
Asia
Hong Kong - Prison service lowers recruitment fitness standards
Sri Lanka - Grave concern at prisons as capacity exceeds by 200%
Europe
England and Wales - Youth jail shut down over safety fears to be turned into men’s prison
England and Wales - The tragedy of Rianna and baby Aisha: why a teenager gave birth all alone in a prison cell
Ireland - Bike restoration project gets boost from Men’s Shed in Mountjoy Prison
Northern Ireland - Ulster GAA teams up with Maghaberry Prison in rehab initiative
Scotland prisons: 895 assaults on staff by inmates in three years
Oceania
Australia - More than 50 cases discontinued in NT courts as 'raise the age' reform comes into effect
News 1 August 2023
Americas
US - "Cooked" Alive: Inmates Stew in Florida Prisons' Extreme Heat
Asia
Taiwan - Stricter open prison rules clear legislative floor
https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202307310024
Europe
England and Wales - Fix ‘endemic’ problems in youth custody, urges prisons watchdog
England and Wales - Thousands of criminals left prison 'unlawfully' over past decade, figures show
England and Wales - Shoplifters who commit repeat offences to face prison
French prison population hits all-time high; know why
https://www.firstpost.com/world/french-prison-population-hits-all-time-high-know-why-12942832.html
Prisoners in Portugal build 150 confessionals ahead of Pope's visit
Oceania
UN Calls Out New Zealand’s Youth Justice Record
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2308/S00011/un-calls-out-new-zealands-youth-justice-record.htm
New Zealand - Corrections condemned by Coroner over death of Christchurch prisoner Kodi Bennett
News 29 – 31 July
Africa
South Africa - Edwin Cameron | Our prisons are falling apart
Americas
Three Ways to Reduce the Number of Women in Prison in the Americas
https://www.wola.org/analysis/reduce-number-women-prison-americas/
Dominican Republic - Inauguration of mental health pavilion for inmates of La Victoria Jail
https://nationworldnews.com/inauguration-of-mental-health-pavilion-for-inmates-of-la-victoria-jail/
US - How Do Prisons in Other Countries Prepare Inmates for Life Outside?
US - “We’ve got hell coming”: Missourians in state prisons fear consequences of summertime heat
https://kcbeacon.org/stories/2023/07/28/missouri-prison-air-conditioning-2023-heat-wave/
US - Texas just raised the price of bottled water in prisons by 50% amid one of the state's most extreme heat waves yet
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/texas-just-raised-price-bottled-164632053.html
US - New report shows what is working well for Idaho’s prisoner reentry programs, and what isn’t
Asia
India - Madras High Court judge asks State to consider allowing conjugal visits in prisons for inmates
India - 66% of state prisons overcrowded by up to 250%; overall staff crunch at 26%
Malaysia - More skills training for prison inmates
https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2023/07/31/more-skills-training-for-prison-inmates
Europe
Vaccination in Prisons: Improving The Health Of Prison Populations and the Wider Community
England and Wales - ‘Serious failings’ contributed to baby’s death in 12-hour lone prison birth
England and Wales - I spent 10 years working as a prison officer. The impact of staff cuts and reduced funding has been devastating
England and Wales - 'Serious concern' over performance of Styal prison
https://www.knutsfordguardian.co.uk/news/23685613.serious-concern-performance-styal-prison/
Ireland – New Limerick Women’s Prison does away with ‘brutality and inhumanity’
Scotland - Prisoner dies at HMP Barlinnie as investigation launched
Oceania
New Zealand - Rolleston prisoners celebrate building 150 homes in programme
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/07/31/rolleston-prisoners-celebrate-building-150-homes-in-programme/
News 28 July
Africa
Egyptian female inmates face privacy violations inside prison cells: rights group
https://www.newarab.com/news/egyptian-women-face-privacy-violations-prison-group
South Africa - G4S company will have one more shot to save Mangaung prison contract from govt termination
Americas
Riot in Brazilian Prison Leaves at Least Five Inmates Dead
El Salvador clears way for mass trials as crackdown on gangs ramps up
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/27/el-salvador-nayib-bukele-gangs-mass-trials
US - Bill to ban solitary confinement in federal prisons introduced in House
US - Abortion Denied: Reproductive Injustice Behind Bars
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/abortion-denied-reproductive-injustice/
US - Youth placed in adult prison have their lives cut shorter, study says
US - California’s free prison calls are repairing estranged relationships and aiding rehabilitation
US (Mississippi) - They needed mental health care treatment. They were thrown in jail without charges instead
Asia
Malaysia - Abolish ‘inhumane’ whipping sentence, urge 25 NGOs
Nepal - Govt to offer health insurance cover to 28,000 prisoners
https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/govt-to-offer-health-insurance-to-28-000-prisoners/
Philippines - DOJ eyeing smaller prison facilities to focus on inmates’ reformation
Singapore executes a woman for first time in almost two decades
Europe
England and Wales - Government warned over prison overcrowding as suicides soar
England and Wales - Self-harming in women’s prisons reaches highest level on record
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/government-wales-england-labour-nacro-b2383158.html
England and Wales - Lowest number of prisons rated outstanding in six years, figures show
England and Wales - Social Enterprise rolls out entrepreneurship programme to North West prisons
Bristol Prison labelled one of most violent in England and Wales
https://planetradio.co.uk/metro/uk/news/bristol-prison-most-violent-england-wales/
Scottish Government urged to ensure new landlines in prison cells at HMP Grampian are tamper proof
2,572 children are in prison in Turkey
https://anfenglish.com/human-rights/2-572-children-are-in-prisons-in-turkey-68520
Oceania
Australia - Staff issues worsened by housing crisis creating 'volatile' Roebourne Regional Prison conditions, union says
Australia - Tasmanian prisons in need of reform
https://www.lafm.com.au/local-news/tasmanian-prisons-in-need-of-reform/
New Zealand - The home detention solution
https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/the-detail/story/2018900194/the-home-detention-solution
News 27 July
Africa
Nigeria - Prison inmates among best Open University students – Coordinator
https://punchng.com/prison-inmates-among-best-open-university-students-coordinator/
Nigeria - It’s time to decongest prisons and reform justice administration
https://guardian.ng/opinion/its-time-to-decongest-prisons-and-reform-justice-administration/
Americas
Ecuador recovering remains after prison violence, death toll unclear
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/ecuador-prison-violence-leaves-least-11-dead-2023-07-26/
Asia
Hong Kong's prison inmates suffer in 'unbearable' summer heatwave
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/hongkong-prisons-07262023132405.html
India - High prevalence of skin disease among prison inmates
India - UP prisoners to get skill trained before their release
https://www.canindia.com/up-prisoners-to-get-skill-trained-before-their-release-16/
Europe
Belgian prisons test faster drug detection method than using dogs
Ireland - Mountjoy Prison inmates put shoulders to the wheel to restore bikes for Ukrainian refugees
Oceania
Australia - Maximum security prisoners launch recycling scheme at Lotus Glen Correctional Facility
Australia - Inmate death prompts call for inquiry into NSW prison privatisation, health care
News 26 July
Africa
Ghana parliament votes to abolish death penalty
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-66308724
Americas
Canada - 'They're human too': Woman worries for brother's safety at Manitoba prison after deadly riot
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/stony-mountain-riot-inmate-safety-1.6915649
Remand and mentally ill population among major challenges at Dominica State Prison
Ecuador declares prison emergency as inmates killed and 100 guards taken hostage
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/25/ecuador-prison-state-of-emergency-hostages-killings
How gang warfare jumped from Ecuador’s prisons to the open street
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/26/americas/ecuador-drug-violence-crisis-explainer-intl/index.html
40% of incarcerated people in Mexico have not been tried, data shows
https://www.axios.com/2023/07/25/mexico-pretrial-detention-andres-manuel-lopez-obrador
US (California) - Bill To Move Convicts into Prisons Closer To Their Children Under Age 18 Signed By Gov. Newsom
US - Virginia state prisons under scrutiny after reports of guards brutalizing inmates
https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2023/07/26/virginia-state-prisons-inmates-torture-guards
Asia
India - In bail orders, courts should consider prisoners’ ability to pay: Supreme Court
India - Mental health infrastructure in Maharashtra’s prisons needs a revamp
Philippine prison gang fight leaves 1 dead, 9 injured
https://english.news.cn/20230726/ff00a57a3eef420cb7e284bd380348d7/c.html
Europe
England and Wales - East Sussex prison sees increasing rates of self-harm and assaults on staff
England and Wales - Concern raised after three deaths at HMP Liverpool in two weeks
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/concern-raised-after-three-deaths-27391142
Oceania
Corrections Minister Must Correct The Failings Of NZ Prisons
News 25 July
Americas
Over 90 prison guards are being held hostage by inmates across five different prisons in Ecuador
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/24/americas/ecuador-security-agents-prisons-intl-latam/index.html
Trinidad & Tobago - Prison service recruitment drive sees thousands lining highway
How desperate US prisoners try to escape deadly heat
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-66274629
US states consider harsh ‘war on drug’-era laws to combat fentanyl crisis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/25/lawmakers-drug-laws-fentanyl-charges
40 years ago, the US started sending more and more kids to prison without hope of release, but today, it’s far more rare – what happened?
Asia
Singapore to execute first woman in nearly 20 years
Europe
England and Wales - ‘Astonishing failure’ at prison holding hundreds of sex offenders
Oceania
Australia - ‘They weren’t there when I needed them’: we asked former prisoners what happens when support services fail
New Zealand - Chief Ombudsman calls for halt of spit hoods on vulnerable prisoners
News 22 – 24 July
Africa
Kenya - State to rope in corporates in rehabilitation of inmates, says PS
Nigeria - From prison to correctional centre, what has changed?
https://guardian.ng/features/from-prison-to-correctional-centre-what-has-changed/
Americas
Brazil Has 91,000 People Using Electronic Ankle Monitors
Canada - A terminally ill federal inmate wants to be released so he can die outside of prison. He's been refused, so he's applying for MAID.
Six killed in gang clashes in Ecuador prison, officials targeted
Armed Incident Leaves Three Dead in Guatemala Prison
US - Long stays in pre-trial detention strain Philadelphia prisons
https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/07/21/philadelphia-prisons-pre-trial-detention
US - Drug Overdose Deaths in Missouri's Prison System Up 19%
https://www.governing.com/health/drug-overdoes-deaths-in-missouris-prison-system-up-19
US - Inmates are training to become Starbucks baristas while in N.J. prisons under new program
Asia
India - eMulakat makes it easy for foreign prisoners
https://punemirror.com/pune/others/emulakat-makes-it-easy-for-foreign-prisoners/cid1690055038.htm
Europe
England and Wales - Prisoners like me are left homeless and sleeping in tents once we are released, how can we start again?
Debt advice service launches on Isle of Man for prisoners
https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/news/debt-advice-service-launches-isle-man-prisoners
Malta - Law meant to deter drug use in breach of prisoners’ fundamental rights: court
Oceania
Australia - 'Premature' death of Indigenous inmate at Junee jail, Coroner calls for more doctors, healthcare workers
New Zealand - Setting prisoners up for failure
https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/the-detail/story/2018899389/setting-prisoners-up-for-failure
New Zealand - Rolleston Prison, Christchurch inmates put to work building new social housing
News 21 July
Africa
South Africa - More than 200 prison escapes over last five years
Americas
US - Youth In Prisons: Solitary Confinement, Excessive Heat, No Exercise or Educational Activities
US - Texas prisoners say their food is melting in front of them as they face horrifying heat in prisons with no AC
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/texas-prisoners-food-melting-front-184751226.html
US - NYC Comptroller Report Finds Number of NYC Prison Detainees is on The Rise
Asia
Iranian female prisoners tell of filmed strip searches
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-66258415
Nearly 5,000 Executions In Iran Since 2013
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202307202287
Europe
Isle of Man - Actions to improve the prison are under way
https://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/actions-to-improve-the-prison-are-under-way-627682
Calls to review segregation systems in Scottish prisons amid claims they do 'more harm than good'
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/calls-review-segregation-systems-scottish-30518261
Scotland - Fatal accident inquiry into prison deaths to focus on drugs in jails
Scotland's courts experiencing 'major disruption' due to prisoner transfer problems
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/scotlands-courts-experiencing-major-disruption-035500438.html
Oceania
New Zealand - National pressures government to abandon plan for fewer prison inmates
News 20 July
Africa
Namibia - Court orders Govt to change prisons law
https://www.namibian.com.na/court-orders-govt-to-change-prisons-law/
Nigeria - Why I’m acquiring certificates in prison, by life jail inmate
https://thenationonlineng.net/why-im-acquiring-certificates-in-prison-by-life-jail-inmate/
Americas
Canada - 36% of inmates at Kitchener women's prison are Indigenous — advocate says education could curb disparities
US (Minnesota) - Rate of homelessness drops among newly released inmates, DOC says
Europe
The alarming Americanisation of British prisons
https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/62133/the-alarming-americanisation-of-british-prisons
Guernsey prisoners 'released with nowhere to live'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crglkzkl8vno
Landline phones to be installed in Scottish prison cells
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66251887
Review of Swedish criminal code may lead to triple the cell space
News 19 July
Mandela’s legacy thrives as today's blueprint for prisoners’ rights
https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/07/1138822
Americas
Canada - 'We could've lost several lives': Inmate killed, seven hospitalized during Manitoba prison riot
Honduras wants to build West's only island prison colony and lock gangsters inside
US - Children held at former Death Row prison in 133F heat with no AC and limited water in Louisiana
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/angola-prison-children-heat-louisiana-b2377577.html
US - Illinois is the first state to eliminate cash bail in its prison system
US - South Carolina prison unit that practices 'restorative justice' has seen fewer violent incidents, study says
Europe
England and Wales - Justice Secretary: Places in prison remain under ‘intense pressure’
England and Wales - Prison educators call for government clarity on contracts, pay and pensions
Oceania
Australia - Independent investigation to probe what NSW prison officials knew of sexual abuse of inmates
New Zealand - Youth crime crackdown: Children’s Commissioner ‘frustrated’ at Government plans for more youth ‘prison-like facilities’
Samoa prisons could use drones to monitor inmates
News 18 July
Africa
Kenya - Over 23,000 inmates freed as 5,000 cases under review in prisons decongestion plan
Tanzania announces measures to address congestion in prisons
https://english.news.cn/africa/20230718/ef4bb3f46ad84ef3b4f4484ff9d4b40a/c.html
Americas
U of S research shows therapy dogs can build a stronger social support network in Canada’s prisons
Trinidad & Tobago - Judge slams delay by Mercy Committee, prisons
https://newsday.co.tt/2023/07/17/judge-slams-delay-by-mercy-committee-prisons/
US - 5,900 Texans have died in custody since 2016, data shows
https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/5900-texans-have-died-in-custody-since-2016-data-shows/
Europe
England and Wales - Basic housing to keep offenders off streets and cut crime
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/basic-housing-to-keep-offenders-off-streets-and-cut-crime
England and Wales - Cookham Wood: 'Shocking' violence at youth prison, report says
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-66228950
Oceania
New Zealand - Crime And Reoffending Directly Tackled With NZ’s First Community-led Mentor Programme For Prison Leavers
New Zealand - Have prisons become default holding pens for unaddressed mental health issues?
New Zealand - Govt taking further steps to strengthen youth justice system
News 15 – 17 July
Alarming rise of women in prison must be addressed, rights summit told
Africa
Kenya - Former death row inmate speaks on life after prison
Tanzania - Commission pokes holes in criminal justice system
https://dailynews.co.tz/commission-pokes-holes-in-criminal-justice-system/
Americas
El Salvador’s mega-prisons as an electoral promise in Colombia
Beyond Prison Walls: Honduran Military Intervention On Gang Violence
https://theowp.org/reports/beyond-prison-walls-honduran-military-intervention-on-gang-violence/
US - While Doing Time in a California Prison, I Was Given a Hysterectomy Without My Consent
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/07/14/california-prison-reproductive-rights-hysterectomy
US - Most Oklahoma jails failed Health Department inspections in 2022
US - Bill Aims to Address Access to Feminine Hygiene Products in Ohio Prisons
Asia
India - 80 percent ‘unnatural deaths’ among prisoners are suicides, government needs to pay heed to NHRC’s advisory on mental health of prisoners
India - More time allowed for interaction of prisoners with kin, friends, lawyers
Malaysia - Prisons director: OBB programme to ease congested cells, encourage better recovery of inmates
Pakistan - No doctor for inmates in 10 Balochistan prisons
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2426566/no-doctor-for-inmates-in-10-balochistan-prisons
Philippines - BJMP says jail congestion rate down to 358 percent
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/15/23/bjmp-says-jail-congestion-rate-down-to-358-percent
Europe
England and Wales - Projected surge in female prison population is 'incredibly worrying', says charity
England and Wales - HMP Norwich gets extra staff to tackle 'alarming violence'
https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/23646924.hmp-norwich-gets-extra-staff-tackle-alarming-violence/
Irish prisoners make 1,000 complaints of alleged assault, excessive force and racial abuse
https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/irish-prisoners-make-1000-complaints-30478734
Oceania
New Zealand - The Corrections Minister's concerned about an increase in the number of prisoners awaiting trial or sentencing -- which National's blaming on court system backlogs
https://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/article.aspx?id=380618&fm=newsmain%2Cnrhl
News 14 July
Prisons from Hong Kong to Chennai to Georgia are setting up biometric surveillance
Americas
Canada - Former Ontario inmates say complaints system is broken after docs reveal medical concerns, abuse allegations
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/inmate-complaints-1.6896550
El Salvador's secretive mega-jail
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-81749d7c-d0a0-48d0-bb11-eaab6f1e6556
DataInSights: Are Pretrial Detentions Fueling Organized Crime in Paraguay?
US - COVID changed our prison systems — we must not go back
US - Study Conducted by Prison Policy Initiative Finds ‘Releasing People Pretrial Doesn’t Harm Public Safety’
US - 24% Fewer Persons Were in Federal Prison for Drug Offenses in 2018 Than in 2013
https://www.ojp.gov/news/news-release/24-fewer-persons-federal-prison-drug-offenses-2018-2013
US - Ex-officers at federal women's prison in California plead guilty to multiple sex abuse counts
US - Texas prisons to phase out physical mail to reduce contraband despite advocate protests
https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/texas-prisons-tdcj-physical-digital-mail-contraband-phase-out/
Asia
India - Prisons overcrowded, but steps on to decongest them: Karnataka Home Minister
Europe
Ten prison guards accused of torturing Tunisian prisoner in Italy
Latvia might abolish conditional prison sentences
Scotland - Inspectors call for 'Victorian prison' to be replaced
https://news.stv.tv/west-central/hmp-greenock-inspectors-call-for-victorian-prison-to-be-replaced
Scotland - Dumfries Prison officially opens new wellbeing garden
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/dumfries-prison-officially-opens-new-30450466
Oceania
Vanuatu high risk prison to close after being deemed unfit for inmates
News 13 July
Africa
Ghana moves to abolish death penalty as parliament advances bill for 2nd, 3rd reading
Namibia - 6 000 inmates earn qualifications
https://neweralive.na/posts/6-000-inmates-earn-qualifications
Women top drug offence arrests in Zimbabwe- report
https://www.chronicle.co.zw/women-top-drug-offence-arrests-in-zimbabwe-report/
Americas
Canada - Over-representation of Indigenous persons in adult provincial custody, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2023001/article/00004-eng.htm
US - The harrowing reality of life in solitary confinement
US – Opinion: New data show a dire forecast about incarceration rates didn’t come true
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/12/good-news-black-incarceration-rate-declines/
US - After new deaths of prisoners in NYC prisons, the clamor grows to close Rikers and promote alternative prison plans
Asia
Pakistan: Families suffer as hundreds jailed far from home
https://www.dw.com/en/pakistan-families-suffer-as-hundreds-jailed-far-from-home/a-66203526
Europe
England and Wales - Legal aid cuts denying vulnerable women access to justice, says thinktank
England and Wales - Wormwood Scrubs ‘unsuitable for the 21st century’, MP claims
https://www.swlondoner.co.uk/news/12072023-wormwood-scrubs-unsuitable-for-the-21st-century-mp-claims
Scotland - History of head injury in four out of five Polmont young offenders
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/head-injury-four-out-of-five-polmont-young-offenders-7w02f7h32
Thousands of Ukraine civilians are being held in Russian prisons. Russia plans to build many more
News 12 July
Africa
It’s time for Ghana to enshrine its respect for right to life – by abolishing death penalty
Psychological rehabilitation of prisoners to strengthen social cohesion and reconciliation in Rwanda
Americas
Murders Are Down 92% In El Salvador After Controversial Mass Incarceration Push
Asia
Dubai Police train prison inmates in culinary arts
https://www.arabianbusiness.com/culture-society/dubai-police-train-prison-inmates-in-culinary-arts
Japan - Laundry soap made by prison labor selling for triple the price
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14954830
Europe
England and Wales - Stun grenades and police dogs must be banned from children’s prisons, ministers warned
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/stun-grenades-police-dogs-must-30440719
Ireland - 40% of people released from prison re-offend within one year
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/courtandcrime/arid-41181076.html
Scotland - Family of woman who took own life in prison could be forced to withdraw from FAI
Spain - An alarming state of mental health in prisons
https://codelist.biz/2023/07/12/an-alarming-state-of-mental-health-in-prisons/
News 11 July
Africa
Ghana - Women at Kumasi Central Prisons appeal for support
https://myjoyonline.com/women-at-kumasi-central-prisons-appeal-for-support
Delays keep South Africa’s courts in waiting
https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/delays-keep-south-africas-courts-in-waiting-10-july-2023/
Americas
US - Dem bill in California would mandate judges to consider race when doling out prison sentences
US - New York City’s Rikers Island jail complex could see federal takeover
Europe
Portugal - Prison bosses request ‘excuse of responsibility’
https://www.portugalresident.com/prison-bosses-request-excuse-of-responsibility/
Oceania
Australia - WA government illegally held three teenage detainees in prolonged lockdowns, court rules
Australia - ACT Government announces Independent Review into over-representation of First Nations prisoners
News 8 – 10 July
Africa
Ghana government spends GH¢1.80 to feed each prison inmate – Director-General
Ghana: Need for New Prison Facilities Nationwide
https://allafrica.com/stories/202307070678.html
Kenya - MPs want death sentences for capital offenders replaced with life imprisonment
Liberia: As Funding For Prisons Drops 85 Percent Under Weah Government Endless Pre-Trial Detentions Are Devastating Lives
Uganda - ‘HIV in prisons is a ticking time bomb’
https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/-hiv-in-prisons-is-a-ticking-time-bomb--4297698
Americas
Brazil’s ‘sisters-in-law’ strike gold opening prison doors on TikTok
Ecuador prison tensions soar as four inmates found ‘hanged’
US - Heat wave in US turns Texas prisons into 'ovens'
Asia
In India, prisoners 5 times more at risk of TB: Study
India - Maharashtra Prisons Department Initiates Reforms To Improve Inmate Conditions
Weak laws in Laos mean death-row inmates won’t face execution anytime soon
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/death-row-inmates-07072023161103.html
Nepal - Procedure drafted for engaging prisoners
https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/procedure-drafted-for-engaging-prisoners
Taiwan - Justice ministry pushes for bill to toughen transfers to minimum security prisons
https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202307100006
Europe
Belgium unveils innovative 'Detention House' in move to improve prison conditions
England and Wales - UK employers pressed to hire more prison leavers
https://www.ft.com/content/4f8de149-722f-45b3-a14b-db62e5a4fa6a
England and Wales - Retail and logistics firms join drive to fill vacancies with prison leavers
England and Wales - Plan to create 20,000 new prison places is 'significantly behind schedule'
https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/plan-create-20000-new-prison-8582996
England and Wales - I started work as a prison officer full of optimism, but in a rat-infested jail I saw the ugly, violent reality
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jul/10/prison-officer-cuts-staff-attrition
News 7 July
Americas
US - Study explores incarceration, employment and re-offense during COVID-19 pandemic
https://phys.org/news/2023-07-explores-incarceration-employment-re-offense-covid-.html
US - Arizona says it’s ready to start executing people again
Asia
India - Right to Life applies to Prisoners in Jail and Remand
https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=b11fc1ac-835c-4cb8-a54f-7df1800b6f4e
India - Prison Dept To Extend Video Calling Service For Foreign Nationals Lodged in Maharashtra Jails
Pakistan - Prisoners will learn skills, sentences will be reduced, Teuta, Prisons Department agreed to hold technical courses
Death row inmates get pre-execution photo shoots for loved ones in Singapore
Europe
England and Wales - Acorn Recruitment partners with Wales and South West HM prison services and construction businesses
https://www.business-live.co.uk/enterprise/acorn-recruitment-partners-wales-south-27266017
England and Wales - Temporary cells to be deployed at HMP Northumberland to cope with capacity pressures
Georgia Ranks Second in Europe’s Prison Population, CoE Reports
https://civil.ge/archives/551000
Despite Scotland's presumption against short prison sentences, about 75% of inmates were jailed for six months or less in 2020-21 – Karyn McCluskey
Turkey - AKP government to expand probation to release thousands from prison except political prisoners
News 6 July
Africa
Uganda: Prisons Service appeals for Shs10.8 billion for wards
Americas
Canada - Inmate population continues to grow in provincial jails
https://www.brandonsun.com/local/2023/07/05/inmate-population-continues-to-grow-in-provincial-jails
US - Solving the problem of understaffed jails and prisons
US - People incarcerated in Colorado can now reduce their prison sentence by earning a college degree
https://coloradosun.com/2023/07/05/colorado-prison-higher-education-sentence-reduction/
Europe
England and Wales - Multiple prisoners locked up for 23 hours in single cells in crumbling Victorian prisons
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/multiple-prisoners-locked-up-23-30394428
England and Wales - Public put in ‘greater danger’ due to failure to rehabilitate prisoners in overcrowded jails
England and Wales - Youth Justice Board moves to tackle probation officer recruitment crisis
Summer water cuts in prison in one of Turkey's hottest cities trouble prisoners
News 30 June – 5 July 2023
Nearly half of tuberculosis cases in prisons worldwide go undetected
https://www.newswise.com/articles/half-of-global-prison-tuberculosis-cases-remain-undetected
Americas
US - Inmates Need Internet to Prepare for Life After Prison
https://www.wired.com/story/inmates-need-internet-to-prepare-for-life-after-prison/
US - California promises better care for thousands of inmates as they leave prison
Asia
Ending Japan’s ‘Hostage Justice’ System
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/06/30/ending-japans-hostage-justice-system
Malaysia scraps mandatory death penalty for crimes such as drug trafficking, terrorism
Europe
Significant increase in sanctions and measures without deprivation of liberty in Europe: SPACE II annual statistics for 2022
England and Wales - Slow progress on reading education in prisons
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/slow-progress-on-reading-education-in-prisons
England and Wales - Support for mothers in prison and on release lacking, according to new report
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/support-mothers-prison-and-release-lacking-according-new-report
England and Wales - End to Friday prison releases calls time on damaging race against the clock
England and Wales - HMP Fosse Way: Government opens new prison in expansion pledge
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-66056833
England and Wales - HMP Gartree super prison plans delayed again as decision pushed back
https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/hmp-gartree-super-prison-plans-8563795
Ireland - Extradition to Scotland refused after judge notes severe prison overcrowding
Malta - Clash of cultures at Corradino prison, former legal officer says
Scotland prisons: Recent spike in deaths sparks concerns
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/23624464.scotland-prisons-recent-spike-deaths-sparks-concerns/
Oceania
Australia - ‘Significant update’ of RACGP Prison Standards
https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/racgp/significant-update-of-racgp-prison-standards
Shock in New Zealand at footage of ‘MMA-style’ fight at youth justice facility
News 29 June
Africa
Morocco - King Mohammed VI Grants Royal Pardon to 1,434 Individuals on Aid Al Adha
Americas
Thousands more prisoners across the U.S. will get free college paid for by the government
US - The Unnecessary Risk Of Incarcerating Minimum Security Inmates
US - Inmates are dying in stifling Texas prisons, but the state seldom acknowledges heat as a cause of death
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/28/texas-prisons-heat-deaths/
US - NJ leads nation in reducing prison population, ACLU says
https://www.njspotlightnews.org/video/nj-leads-nation-in-reducing-prison-population-aclu-says/
US - Pennsylvania Senate approves legislation aimed at reducing the number of people on probation, in jail
Asia
India - NHRC's Advisory to Tackle an Alarming Rise in Prison Deaths Ignores Ground Realities
https://thewire.in/rights/prison-deaths-mental-health-suicide-nhrc
India - Mumbai: Prisoners To Get Remission For Taking Part In Musical Competitions
Philippines - Gov’t starts jail decongestion; new city jails chief named
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1794699/govt-starts-jail-decongestion-new-city-jails-chief-named
Europe
England and Wales - Surge in prison officer absences due to mental health reasons
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-66039586
England and Wales - Youth justice inspectorate calls for training and education improvements
Isle of Man Prison boss promises action after critical report
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-66036710
Northern Ireland - Old block at Maghaberry Prison reopens amid inmates total record
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-66043893
Scotland - Firm paid millions to transport prisoners missing more than 50 transfers a week due to staff shortages
News 28 June
Americas
Brazil reinstates national system against prison torture
https://www.inform.kz/en/brazil-reinstates-national-system-against-prison-torture_a4083719
Solitary confinement is still widespread in US prisons and jails
US - People in Florida prisons will get free calls for good behavior in new program
Asia
India - Tripura to release prisoners who have completed 66% of jail time: Official
Europe
Cyprus - Prison overcrowding among worse in Europe
https://www.financialmirror.com/2023/06/27/prison-overcrowding-among-worse-in-europe/
Pioneering facility offering alternative to women’s prisons opens in England
England and Wales - Prisoners ‘taking bounties’ to carry out attacks at top security Frankland jail
Prison population in the Netherlands low, but pre-trial detention remains high
https://nltimes.nl/2023/06/27/prison-population-netherlands-low-pre-trial-detention-remains-high
Scotland has second highest prison rate in western Europe, study shows
Oceania
New Zealand - 'Disconnection at all levels': Ombudsman's scathing review of Corrections
News 22 – 27 June 2023
Africa
Egypt's prisons are an economic burden in a debt-ridden country
Rwanda: Life Imprisonment Reduction Sparks Intense House Debate
https://allafrica.com/stories/202306270342.html
Uganda – ‘Over 280 children in prison with mothers’
https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/over-280-children-in-prison-with-mothers-163480
Americas
IACHR Presents Report on Women Deprived of Their Freedom in the Americas
https://www.oas.org/en/iachr/jsForm/?File=/en/iachr/media_center/preleases/2023/135.asp
Q&A: Latin American Children With Parents in Prison Get No Support
https://insightcrime.org/news/unseen-consequences-latin-american-children-parents-prison/
Antigua & Barbuda - Six juveniles currently being held in national prison
https://antiguaobserver.com/six-juveniles-currently-being-held-in-national-prison/
Three inmates found hanged at Ecuador prison
https://www.macaubusiness.com/three-inmates-found-hanged-at-ecuador-prison/
El Salvador imprisons dozens of foreign visitors in crackdown on crime
Honduras adopts El Salvador-style tactics in anti-gang crackdown on prison inmates
Several Honduras prison carnage victims were locked up and set on fire, officials say
Jamaica - Editorial | Move prisons past Dickensian-era workhouses
US - Bureau Of Prisons Changes In Works To Comply With First Step Act
US - Report: Incarcerated populations up 4% post-COVID
US - Health Care Coverage For The Incarcerated Population To Reduce Opioid-Related Relapse, Overdose, And Recidivism Rates
US - 1 in 4 inmates killed in Louisiana jails hadn't been tried yet, study finds
Asia
Bangladeshi prisoner gets his sentence reduced by hanging 26 inmates
India - Screen inmates' mental health to prevent in-prison suicides, NHRC recommends
India - At Yerwada jail, prisoners to get smart cards to call up family members thrice a month
Japan's Justice Ministry compiles plan to prevent prison abuse
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/23/national/justice-ministry-prison-reforms/
Myanmar Insein: A rare glimpse inside a barbaric prison
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-65959508
Europe
European incarceration rate increased following the end of Covid-19 lockdown measures: Council of Europe’s annual penal statistics released
England and Wales - Half of prison officers do not feel safe at work - “shocking” new survey
England and Wales - Further rollout of Rapid Deployment Cells to boost prison places
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/further-rollout-of-rapid-deployment-cells-to-boost-prison-places
England and Wales - Sodexo pledge £100,000 to support ex-offenders into apprenticeship training
England and Wales - Prisoner who stripped to pants on HMP Frankland roof brought down after seven-hour stand-off
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/prisoner-who-stripped-pants-hmp-27177771
Ireland - Creation of clear transgender policy for women’s prison `urgent and essential’
Isle of Man - Inmates released from prison without addressing offending behaviour
North Macedonia prosecutor says inmates, psychiatric patients subjected to degrading treatment
Scotland - Under-25s going to prison 'drops by third after new rules brought in'
Scotland - Covid court case backlog means prisoners are serving entire sentence on remand then being released with no money and nowhere to go – Karyn McCluskey
Council of Europe: Turkey’s Prison Population Rises Beyond 300,000
Inmates on hunger strike stand against abuse in Turkish prison
https://medyanews.net/inmates-on-hunger-strike-stand-against-abuse-in-turkish-prison/
Oceania
Australia - Prison inmates to be charged 24c a minute for phone calls as NSW scraps cheaper providers
Australia - Inquiry hears housing crisis and service shortfalls resulting in failures to rehabilitate Tasmanian prisoners
News 21 June
Americas
Honduras prison violence: At least 41 killed in women's jail riot
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-65969092
US - Life after prison: Mass. leaves thousands of prisoners awaiting education that would help their re-entry
Asia
Expert panel takes aim at Japan’s prison conditions following inmate abuse
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/21/national/crime-legal/ministry-panel-prison-reform/
Europe
German top court tells two states to pay prisoners better
https://www.dw.com/en/german-top-court-tells-two-states-to-pay-prisoners-better/a-65977679
Turkey - 22 prison staff members detained over alleged torture, mistreatment and embezzlement
Oceania
New statistics show Indigenous Australians 12 times more likely to be in jail over general population
https://www.koreaherald.com/global_insite/view.php?ud=x8lx4ar
News 20 June
Africa
Ghana - New Narcotic Control Act introduces alternatives to prison sentences for ‘wee smokers’
Americas
US - The Impossible Math Behind Pay-Per-Minute Prison Messaging
https://slate.com/technology/2023/06/prison-messaging-cost-gettingout-gtl-viapath.html
US - Alabama inmates’ HIV rates triple rest of population
https://www.al.com/news/2023/06/alabama-inmates-hiv-rates-triple-rest-of-population.html
US (New York) - Legislators look to close loophole allowing slavery for prisoners
US (California) - For women ex-prisoners, food insecurity can trigger catastrophe. Activists want more aid
US - 'Game-changing' bill would steer some NJ offenders from courts to mental health care
Asia
India - UP prisons to be known as “Reform Homes”
https://currentaffairs.adda247.com/up-prisons-to-be-known-as-reform-homes/
Malaysia - Resentencing Process Must Be a Fair And Meaningful Opportunity for Commutation of Death Sentences
https://www.amnesty.org.au/deathpenalty-malaysia/
Europe
Cyprus - MPs concerned about prison overcrowding
https://cyprus-mail.com/2023/06/19/mps-concerned-about-prison-overcrowding/
England and Wales - Thousands of prisoners ‘rotting away with little or no hope of finding justice’
England and Wales - Outpatient clinic held in prison helps inmates who have been waiting 'many months' for care
Ireland - Prison overcrowding at record levels with four to a cell in some facilities
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41165572.html
Oceania
Australia - Special court for Aboriginal kids to reduce prison rate
News 17 – 19 June
Africa
Ghana’s remand prison population reduces significantly-POS Foundation
Rwanda Seeks to Reintegrate Genocide Convicts
https://allafrica.com/stories/202306170071.html
Americas
Ecuador authorities confiscate pigs, fighting cocks from prison
US - Commission urges New England states to prioritize prison education
US - Life With Parole: Probation and parole systems remain understaffed and buggy in Texas.
Asia
Indonesia - Minister lauds prisoner rehabilitation program at Tanjungpinang
Prison riot breaks out in Israel's South, guards regain control
Jordan to release hundreds of prisoners before Eid Al Adha
https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/2023/06/19/jordan-prisoners/
Philippines - Bill eyes additional prisons under BuCor
https://manilastandard.net/news/314340990/bill-eyes-additional-prisons-under-bucor.html
Singapore - Prison inmates to receive training for food and beverage sector, and help with securing jobs
Singapore - Inmates celebrate Father’s Day with their children in largest family reunion at Changi Prison since pandemic
Europe
OSCE trains Albanian officials on high-security prison regime
https://www.miragenews.com/osce-trains-albanian-officials-on-high-security-1028915/
Cyprus - Only new prisons can solve overcrowding, says prison guards rep
https://cyprus-mail.com/2023/06/16/only-new-prisons-can-solve-overcrowding-says-prison-guards-rep/
England and Wales - Armley Prison: HMP Leeds warned about mental health provision after another prisoner takes their own life
England and Wales - HMP Littlehey: Restraint use on frail prisoner inappropriate says ombudsman
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-65930472
Ireland - More than 4,500 in jail as prison population reaches a record high
Scotland - Conservatives oppose 'dangerous' plans they claim would cut prison sentences
https://www.aberdeenlive.news/news/scottish-news/conservatives-oppose-dangerous-plans-claim-8531055
IHD says conditions in Turkish prisons poor, human rights violations common
https://stockholmcf.org/ihd-says-conditions-in-turkish-prisons-poor-human-rights-violations-common/
Oceania
Australia - Prison guards threaten strikes after rejecting pay deal
https://au.sports.yahoo.com/prison-guards-threaten-strikes-rejecting-032145495.html
News 16 June
Africa
Nigeria - Focus on non-custodial sentences to decongest prisons – CSOs
https://www.icirnigeria.org/focus-on-non-custodial-sentences-to-decongest-prisons-csos/
South African prisoners using TikTok to livestream on the rise
https://www.ecr.co.za/shows/vic-naidoo/south-african-prisoners-using-tiktok-livestream-rise/
Americas
America’s questionable employment of prison labour is adding to domestic clothing makers’ woes
Asia
India - ‘Inmates of all Pb jails to be screened’
Europe
Cyprus - Government to upgrade and expand prison facilities to address overcrowding
Hungary - Prison Overcrowding Resolved, Says Justice Minister
https://hungarytoday.hu/prison-overcrowding-resolved-says-justice-minister/
Isle of Man - Prisoner's human rights not breached during Covid
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqld7nk2x1lo
Jail ombudsman warns of prison overcrowding in Italy
https://www.azernews.az/region/211164.html
Northern Ireland - Maghaberry Prison bursting at the seams with concerns raised over death and drugs inside
SNP told to get a grip of drug scandal at Scots prison with over 1600 incidents in just three years
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-told-grip-drug-scandal-30240894
News 15 June
Americas
US - Getting Answers: What's Missing From California's Inmate Recidivism Report
https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/cdcr-inmate-recidivism-report-questions-unanswered/
Europe
England and Wales’ Prisons Burdened with Highest Occupancy Rates in Over a Decade
Italy - Prison must respect human dignity and rights says Mattarella
Oceania
Australia - Almost all WA prison officers are ready to strike
https://www.6pr.com.au/almost-all-wa-prison-officers-are-ready-to-strike/
Australia - Medicare Denial Sees Correctives Systems Destroy Prisoner Health to the Detriment of All
News 14 June
Americas
Torture Technique of Breaking Prisoners' Fingers Is Detected in Five States in Brazil
US - Inside a Remarkable Dance Program at a California Prison
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/13/us/dance-prison-california.html
Asia
India - How education can reform convicts: IG Zaidi opens up on prison lessons
Jordanian courts issued 300 alternatives to prison sentences in May
http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/jordanian-courts-issued-300-alternatives-prison-sentences-may
Europe
England and Wales - POA calls for ban on tins in prisons
https://insidetime.org/poa-calls-for-ban-on-tins-in-prisons/
England and Wales - HMP Hewell: Prison chess clubs helping rehabilitate inmates
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-65889955
England and Wales - Durham Prison Hub opens to help re-integrate prisoners into society
Ireland - Warning of 'revolving door' for prisoners without further investment
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41162068.html
Italy - Stiffer sentences needed for brutalising inmates - judges
Oceania
Australia (NSW) - Inmates in lockdown, prisons closed due to chronic correctional officer staff shortages
News 10 – 13 June
Africa
Morocco Adopts Alternative Sentencing Bill To Reduce Prison Overcrowding
Americas
Canada - B.C. community gets Indigenous Justice Centre to help break incarceration cycle
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/chilliwack-indigenous-justice-centre-1.6874142
US - Mellon Foundation to Award Over $5 Million to Expand Prison Education Programs
US - 'Strange' Texas prison policy keeps some women in solitary wearing gowns
Asia
Israel - Prison, Employment services join forces to help ex-convicts stay out of prison
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-745764
Nepal - Prisoners experiencing skin issues due to scorching heat
Philippines - New bill, same problem: Lawmakers bat for more prison facilities to solve jail congestion
Europe
Prison staff launch walkout in Belgium after inmate sets fire to his cell
Cyprus - Proposal to expand prison to ease overcrowding
https://cyprus-mail.com/2023/06/12/proposal-to-expand-prison-to-ease-overcrowding/
England and Wales - Inside the prison where staff feel 'unsafe' and inmates are 'physically and mentally abused'
Black defendants experience longer remand times in England and Wales, new data shows
Northern Ireland - Justice system ‘needs a more targeted approach' to reduce adult re-offending
Scotland - Changes to children's justice system 'would help break cycle of offending'
https://news.stv.tv/scotland/changes-to-childrens-justice-system-would-help-break-cycle-of-offending
Oceania
New Zealand - A watershed report on solitary confinement in NZ prisons must now trigger real reform
News 9 June
Africa
Ghana - President pledges more support for Prisons Service
https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/president-pledges-more-support-for-prisons-service.html
South Africa - ZIZAMELE CEBEKHULU-MAKHAZA | SA's prison reform system needs complete overhaul
Americas
US - ‘I call it pretend freedom’: Older adults coming out of Illinois prisons face steep roadblocks in their reentry journey
https://www.injusticewatch.org/news/prisons-and-jails/2023/older-adults-prison-reentry/
US (New Jersey) - A leftover pandemic restriction in prisons deprives some of ‘lifeline’ family visits
Asia
India - Incarcerated engineer’s e-bike a big hit in Coimbatore Central Prison
Israel - Inmates riot, clash with guards in Beersheba prison riot
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-745736
Nepal - Overcrowded Baglung prison house leaves jailbirds in trouble
Philippines - Solons seek to address subhuman conditions in PH penal facilities
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1203229
Europe
Ireland - Overcrowding Continues In Midlands Prison
https://www.midlands103.com/news/midlands-news/overcrowding-continues-in-midlands-prison/
Oceania
Australia - National Children's Commissioner launches major project to reform youth justice system in 'crisis'
News 8 June
Africa
Kenya - New bedding for prisons under Sh40bn proposal
Americas
Colombia Senators Approve Cannabis Legalization Bill
https://hightimes.com/news/colombia-senators-approve-cannabis-legalization-bill/
Haitians are dying of thirst and starvation in severely overcrowded jails
US - New York Prison System Reverses Policy Restricting Incarcerated Writers And Artists
https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/york-prison-system-reverses-policy-210455864.html
US - Report: Four of California’s prisons ranked worst at handling COVID, care for inmates
US - How can Gavin Newsom reform California prisons but still allow solitary confinement?
https://calmatters.org/commentary/2023/06/newsom-prison-reforms-solitary-confinement/
Asia
Hong Kong prisons work to compel loyalty to China among young activists
Europe
England and Wales - Prison turnaround has inspectors gobsmacked after inmates took control and staff feared for safety
Ireland - New data shows that people who have been subject to probation orders earn up to 30% less than other workers
Over 800 prisoners left waiting for addiction services in Irish prisons
https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/politics/drug-addiction-prison-wait-lists-30177823
Oceania
Australia - First Nations justice reinvestment package to support local solutions
https://www.croakey.org/first-nations-justice-reinvestment-package-to-support-local-solutions/
News 7 June
Africa
In Africa, women judges improve trust in courts, bring justice to the less privileged and empower women and girls
Americas
US - COVID prison releases expose key driver of racial inequity
US - A New Prison Policy Blocks Incarcerated Journalists and Artists From Publishing Their Work
https://nysfocus.com/2023/06/06/doccs-prison-blocks-journalism-artists-creative-work
Asia
Lebanon: Sharp increase of deaths in custody must be a wake-up call for authorities
S.Korea to abolish 30-yr period of prescription for death sentence
https://themeghalayan.com/s-korea-to-abolish-30-yr-period-of-prescription-for-death-sentence/
Thailand - Convicts can now seek detention outside prison
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2587099/convicts-can-now-seek-detention-outside-prison
Europe
Belgium -- No more detainees sleeping on floor in Ghent Prison
https://www.brusselstimes.com/belgium/539694/no-more-detainees-sleeping-on-floor-in-ghent-prison
England and Wales - Prisons are a festering wound in our public services – they need urgent reform
England and Wales - Inspection skills qualification launches for youth offending inspectors
Netherlands - Four prisoners found dead in Zaanstad prison last month
https://nltimes.nl/2023/06/06/four-prisoners-found-dead-zaanstad-prison-last-month
Scotland - Shotts Prison probe as three inmates die after taking lethal cocktail of drugs
https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/shotts-prison-probe-three-inmates-27070176
Oceania
Australia - Violent and vulnerable: Ricky, 14, has been to jail 15 times. In Queensland’s youth justice system, he lost hope
News 2-6 June
Global study of miscarriages of justice highlights ‘myth of exceptionality’
Africa
How international standards and norms help to build resilient prisons: Lessons learned from COVID-19 in Africa
Americas
Prisoners Defenders Reports on Torture in Cuban Prisons
https://havanatimes.org/features/prisoners-defenders-reports-on-torture-in-cuban-prisons/
US - Solitary confinement intensifies problems for incarcerated people
https://www.kunc.org/2023-06-02/solitary-confinement-intensifies-problems-for-incarcerated-people
US - California is closing its last youth prisons. Will what replaces them be worse?
Asia
Bangladesh - High Court: Save the poor by appointing prison doctors immediately
Iran prisoner spends 1,000 days in solitary confinement
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-65754099
UN document: UAE keeping rights activists in jail past end of sentences
Europe
Inmates at Belgian prison fed exclusively frozen meals last year
England and Wales - Violence on rise at Full Sutton prison, where some of UK's most dangerous inmates are held
Northern Ireland criminal justice system 'at breaking point'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65786894
Oceania
Australia - Cheaper to call Vatican City: Why is it so expensive to make phone calls from prison?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-06/prison-phone-calls-costs-australia/102409868
Australia - ‘Extreme self-harm’: Queensland Labor faces internal criticism over prison system
News 1 June 2023
Africa
Kenya - Gov’t to decongest prisons by half in the next 1 year – Kindiki
https://www.pd.co.ke/news/kindiki-says-govt-to-decongest-prisons-by-half-in-the-next-1-year-182862/
Americas
US - Black-led organizations are leading charge in reform of prisons and the death penalty
US - Study cites concerning gaps in suicide reporting by prisons
https://fronterasdesk.org/content/1848341/study-cites-concerning-gaps-suicide-reporting-prisons
US - New policies needed for maternal health care among incarcerated people with COVID-19, according to NICHD-funded researchers
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/newsroom/news/053123-maternal-health-care
US - Solitary Confinement Under The Guise Of Public Health: Lessons Learned From COVID-19 And HIV
Asia
Guards beat prison inmates to death in Myanmar’s Bago region, sources say
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/bago-prison-beatings-05312023060213.html
Philippines - Technology as key to freedom and digital inclusivity of persons deprived of liberty
Taiwan - Youth justice amendments approved
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2023/06/01/2003800810
Europe
Netherlands - Female prison inmates subjected to sexual harassment by guards
https://www.dutchnews.nl/2023/05/female-prison-inmates-subjected-to-sexual-harassment-by-guards/
Oceania
Australia - Indigenous legal centre will improve access to justice
News 31 May
Americas
US (Connecticut) - House advances bill that requires study, not limits, of strip searches
https://ctmirror.org/2023/05/30/ct-strip-search-prison-end-bill-study/
US - Chronic understaffing at Hawaiʻi prisons balloons overtime costs
US - “Moral injuries”: Solitary confinement intensifies problems for incarcerated people. It also changes the Colorado therapists who send them there.
https://coloradosun.com/solitary-confinement-clinicians-moral-injury/
US - The war on drugs fills Missouri prisons with poor, rural women. That isn’t justice | Opinion
https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/readers-opinion/guest-commentary/article275909651.html
Asia
Cambodia - Ministry to end inmates’ illegal use of phones in prison
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501299238/ministry-to-end-inmates-illegal-use-of-phones-in-prison/
Europe
Belarus must release all prisoners held on political grounds and protect their rights: UN experts
England and Wales - Prison and Probation Service plans new body-worn video deployment
England and Wales - Concerns at Nottinghamshire's HMP Lowdham Grange prison after three deaths in three weeks
https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/concerns-nottinghamshires-hmp-lowdham-grange-8481999
England and Wales - Keepmoat and HM Prison Service launch bricklaying academy to teach prisoners new skills
Scotland - Prison suicides of two young Glaswegians to be investigated by court
https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/prison-suicides-two-young-glaswegians-27021051
News 27 – 30 May
Americas
Canada - Isolation cells in women’s prisons used almost exclusively for Indigenous prisoners, panel finds
Report: At least 153 people arrested under special powers have died in Salvadoran prisons
US - Incarcerated people use TikTok videos to expose Alabama’s prison conditions
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/26/alabama-prison-conditions-tiktok
US - San Francisco Jail First in Nation to Provide Free Content to Incarcerated People
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/san-francisco-jail-free-content-incarcerated-people/3239560/
Asia
Number of people prosecuted in China’s courts up 12% in five years, report shows
Women in Indian prisons denied menstrual products despite rules
https://www.devex.com/news/women-in-indian-prisons-denied-menstrual-products-despite-rules-105565
India - To free up prison spaces, authorities weigh plan to pay for undertrials’ bail
Europe
England and Wales - Prisons in 'catastrophic' state with space set to run out in six weeks, jail chiefs warn
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/prisons-catastrophic-state-space-set-30103587
England and Wales - HMP Northumberland: Prison farm shop to sell inmates' produce
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-65719785
England and Wales - Prisoners locked up for too long at HMP Birmingham, report finds
Ireland needs to build more prisons, says outgoing Justice Minister Simon Harris
Ireland - Third of prisoners awaiting mental health services, report finds
HMP Addiewell: Life in one of Scotland’s last private prisons
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/23551275.hmp-addiewell-life-one-scotlands-last-private-prisons/
Scotland’s prisons chief warns against courts caging more women when new £85m jail opens
Scotland - Prisoners at Barlinnie to get landlines installed in their cells
https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/prisoners-barlinnie-landlines-installed-cells-112312405.html
Oceania
Australia - Over-representation of Aboriginal people in New South Wales prisons "highest on record"
News 26 May
Africa
Egypt's female 'prisoners of poverty' struggle with stigma
Kenya - Kiambu Prison Rehabilitates Offenders Through Running A Farm Nursery
https://www.kenyanews.go.ke/kiambu-prison-rehabilitates-offenders-through-running-a-farm-nursery/
South Africa - Prison life: The daily routine of an inmate
https://www.thesouthafrican.com/culture/prison-journalism/prison-life-daily-routine-of-an-inmate/
Americas
Canada - Tightened Bail Restrictions Unlikely To Curb Violent Crime, Experts Warn
U.S. among 17 countries that practice forced labor, a form of ‘modern slavery,’ report finds
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/25/slavery-united-states-forced-prison-labor/
All 123 US federal prisons need 'maintenance': Inspector general
https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/123-us-federal-prisons-maintenance-022602879.html
US - Ex-guard charged with 95 counts of sexual abuse in California women’s prison
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/25/california-womens-prison-guard-sexual-assault
US - Maryland’s Solitary Confinement Reform Bill Stalls in the Democratic State Legislature
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/maryland-solitary-confinement-bill-stalls/
Asia
India - What is the Model Prisons Act announced by the MHA?
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-law/model-prisons-act-mha-8630225/
Europe
England and Wales - Pentonville prison slammed for overcrowding again as inspectors return to find more inmates than last time
England and Wales - The trouble with 'failing' Exeter Prison as it reaches critical point
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/trouble-failing-exeter-prison-reaches-8459901
Ireland - Lack of oversight of restorative justice as government officials failed to meet with schemes for year and a half
Prison overcrowding and maximum security use criticised in latest Irish Penal Reform Trust report
Scotland - The £85m prison with no bars on the windows
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-65715387
News 25 May
Africa
Kenya - I choose jail: Why Lamu prison is teeming with repeat offenders
Americas
Program allows incarcerated women to raise their children inside Canadian prisons
El Salvador’s Prison State
https://www.aljazeera.com/program/fault-lines/2023/5/24/el-salvadors-prison-state
US - The ongoing debate on prison labor: is it a form of slavery?
US - Editorial: Two Alabama governors who supported the death penalty explain why it's wrong
Asia
India - Tracking devices, separate transgender cells: Centre outlines new prison rules
Malaysia - Home Ministry: Prison Dept is not considering public flogging for drug offences as alternative to abolished mandatory death penalty
Philippines - Nearly 6,000 inmates freed under Marcos administration
Europe
England and Wales - Suicidal women are being sent to prison, although they’ve committed no crime
https://inews.co.uk/opinion/suicidal-women-prison-committed-crime-2360296
England and Wales - Crime reoffending rates being tackled with new bricklaying academy at Doncaster prison
Scotland - Significant progress on courts backlog
https://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/news/significant-progress-on-courts-backlog
News 24 May 2023
Africa
Egypt has renewed pre-trial detention of over 20,000 people in 9 months, says rights group
Americas
Cuba - Socialism, death penalty and criminal punitiveness: notes on the Penal Code
New report reveals over 122K are held in solitary confinement in U.S. prisons and jails
US (New Jersey) - As prison population grays, calls grow for ‘geriatric parole’
https://newjerseymonitor.com/2023/05/23/as-prison-population-grays-calls-grow-for-geriatric-parole/
Asia
India - Training in beekeeping given to inmates of open air prison in Coimbatore
Philippines - PH pledges support for UN Nelson Mandela Rules
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1202138
Europe
England and Wales - Prison 'job centres' and business link-ups help boost ex-offender employment
England and Wales - 200 Albanian offenders to be sent home from UK cells in prison transfer scheme
England and Wales - Prison services rules ‘actively preventing’ women and children from rehabilitation
https://www.thejusticegap.com/26072-2/
England and Wales - TV presenter Fred Sirieix launches third prison restaurant run by inmates
Scotland - Young offenders praise 'life-changing' Rangers charity scheme to help them into work
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/young-offenders-praise-life-changing-153218123.html
Oceania
New Zealand - Corrections restructuring proposals goes to staff
News 23 May
Africa
Medical neglect: The gateway to slow death in Egypt prisons
Americas
US - ‘Worse than what we thought’: New data reveals deeper problems with the Bureau of Prisons’ Covid response https://www.statnews.com/2023/05/23/prisons-covid-response/
US - 'Air Conditioning is a Human Right.' Heat-Related Prison Deaths Are Rising Due to Climate Change
https://time.com/6281702/prisons-heat-deaths-climate-change-air-conditioning/
US - Colette Peters’ Challenge: Change The Culture Of The Bureau Of Prisons
US - A History of Incarceration by Women Who Have Lived Through It
US - Prison conditions raise concern among people impacted by Georgia criminal system, advocates
US - Calls Are Free, But California Prisoners Still Face Communication Obstacles
https://theappeal.org/viapath-california-prison-phones-tablets-messaging/
US - In Maryland, the older a prisoner gets, the less likely he or she will be paroled, report finds
Asia
India - Chandigarh Health Department to screen over 1K jail inmates for AIDS, TB
Malaysia - Experts welcome recent drug law reforms
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/05/22/experts-welcome-recent-drug-law-reforms
Europe
England and Wales - Indefinite jail terms are state-sanctioned cruelty
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/may/22/indefinite-jail-terms-are-state-sanctioned-cruelty
England and Wales - Breaking the cycle – A Senedd Committee finds the criminal justice system is failing Welsh women
Student behind bars: Prisoners studying for degrees in German prison
https://starconnectmedia.com/student-behind-bars-prisoners-studying-for-degrees-in-german-prison/
93 inmates have died in Turkish prisons in the last 17 months: report
https://stockholmcf.org/93-inmates-have-died-in-turkish-prisons-in-the-last-17-months-report/
Oceania
Australia - Queensland changes laws to accommodate UN prisons inspectors
News 20-22 May
Africa
South Africa - Vetting blamed for delays in filling vacancies on prison parole boards
Uganda - Shock figures reveal crisis state of prisons
https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/shock-figures-reveal-crisis-state-of-prisons-4240990
Zimbabwe Releases More Than 4,000 Prison Inmates
https://www.voanews.com/a/zimbabwe-releases-more-than-4-000-prison-inmates/7100918.html
Americas
Deaths of Indigenous people in Atlantic Canadian jails spark calls for review, change
https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/deaths-indigenous-people-atlantic-canadian-192026210.html
Canada - Justice minister says federal government could not go much further on bail reform
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/lametti-bail-reform-constitution-limits-1.6850914
US - Native Hawaiians Are Overrepresented In Prisons. Cultural Education Could Help
US - Staffing crisis in WV prisons persists as lawmakers reflect on rejected bills
US - California Confronts Overdose Epidemic Among Former Prison Inmates
https://www.noozhawk.com/california-confronts-overdose-epidemic-among-former-prison-inmates/
US - Illinois organizers push to abolish cash bail as they await court ruling
https://prismreports.org/2023/05/19/illinois-fight-to-end-cash-bail/
US - How a ‘Blue Wall’ Inside N.Y. State Prisons Protects Abusive Guards
Asia
India - Manhunt for 573 absconding prisoners released during Covid-19 pandemic
Iran - Executed Prisoners’ Families Tear-Gassed And Shot
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202305205684
Europe
England and Wales - Overcrowding in prisons is a ‘powder keg waiting to blow’
England and Wales - COVID-19 experience for children in custodial settings
https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/covid-19-experience-children-custodial-settings/159283/
England and Wales - ‘We just got left’: How children of prisoners are abandoned by the state
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/children-parent-prison-ignored-impact-assessment/
News 19 May 2023
The death penalty: a breach of human rights and ethics of care
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)01004-8/fulltext
Africa
South Africa - 'One escape from lawful custody is one too many': Lamola gives assurance SA prisons are intact
Americas
Canada - Staff shortages at Nova Scotia jails prompt Charter challenges by inmates
El Salvador gangs: Mass arrests bring calm but at what price?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-65596471
Haiti Sees Rise of ‘Vigilante Justice’ as Gang Violence Soars
https://www.thestkittsnevisobserver.com/haiti-sees-rise-of-vigilante-justice-as-gang-violence-soars/
US - Opinion: Eliminate solitary confinement in prisons, jails
US - Covid-19 Suit Removal Dashed in Pennsylvania Prisoner Litigation
Europe
England and Wales - Inquest begins into young offender found dead in Warrington Prison
News 18 May 2023
Americas
Sint Maarten - Prosecutor: Hundreds of prison sentences not executed in 2022 due to lack of beds
US - W.Va. Lower Than National Average For Prison Incarcerations
https://wvpublic.org/w-va-lower-than-national-average-for-prison-incarcerations/
Asia
Parliamentary panel expresses concern over Indian prison system, safety
Not Guilty But In Jail: The best hope for India’s undertrial prisoners – district-level undertrial review committees – are failing
Pakistan’s Criminal Justice System: Challenges and Reforms
https://dailytimes.com.pk/1094319/pakistans-criminal-justice-system-challenges-and-reforms/
Europe
England and Wales - How internet-free laptops are transforming lives in UK prisons
England and Wales - The law is gone but they are still in jail: who will free Britain’s most wronged prisoners?
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/may/18/jail-law-britain-prisoners-ipp-sentences
England and Wales - Stoke Heath prison told to make improvements after prisoner died of heart attack
Isle of Man - Independent review into recent prison deaths commissioned
News 17 May 2023
Africa
Number of Prisoners in Morocco Increased 10% in 2022
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2023/05/355479/number-of-prisoners-in-morocco-increased-10-in-2022
Americas
In Brazil, prisons without guards offer inmates path to recovery
Canada - Ontario, Bell won't say how much money they made from jail system that charged 'exorbitant' rates for inmate phone calls
US - How inflation is hitting prison inmates
https://www.npr.org/2023/05/16/1176506767/how-inflation-is-hitting-prison-inmates
US - Youth Justice by the Numbers
https://www.sentencingproject.org/policy-brief/youth-justice-by-the-numbers/
US - Why some states are reforming minimum sentencing requirements
https://www.fox47news.com/why-some-states-are-reforming-minimum-sentencing-requirements
US - Bill to let some inmates serving life in prison seek new sentences approved by Alabama House
US - Editorial: California locks people in prisons, and locks out reporters and even lawmakers
US - For the 78,000 people released from prisons in Texas every year, finding a job isn’t easy
Asia
Cambodia - Focus on predicament of children in prison
India - Serious about bail, serious about justice
Indonesia - New penal code offers hope of abolishing death penalty
Singapore executes second prisoner in three weeks
Europe
Cyprus - Prison guards threaten with measures citing “indifference” of justice ministry
England and Wales - New annual report finds conditions remain 'very poor' at Aylesbury Vale prison
England and Wales - Staff shortages take toll on prisoners’ experience at HMP Stocken, report finds
Ireland - Restorative justice referrals decreased last year despite Government promise to build capacity
https://www.thejournal.ie/restorative-justice-referrals-decrease-6069162-May2023/
Northern Ireland - High Court: Information given to prison inmates on the potential monitoring of phone calls 'does not meet human rights standards'
Oceania
Australia - Laws to move young offenders to adult jails the moment they turn 18 introduced in State Parliament
News 16 May
Global use of death penalty at highest rate for five years - new report
Americas
Canada - Justice minister planning to introduce bail reforms this week
US (Connecticut) - Federal Prison Employees Ask the Supreme Court to Review COVID Hazard Pay Case
US (Vermont) - The Department of Corrections will end its work crew program. Prosecutors are not pleased.
US - Colorado bill makes phone calls free in prisons and youth detention facilities
https://coloradosun.com/2023/05/16/colorado-prison-calls-bill/
Asia
India - Counselling and skilling: How the state reforms its prisoners
Singapore’s death row ‘main element of its drug policy’
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/16/singapores-death-row-main-element-of-its-drug-policy
Europe
England and Wales - Personality disorders in prison and probation: Are specialist units working?
England and Wales - Children in custody held ‘miles from home’ miss out on family visits, HMI prisons warns
Hungarian government to release 700 foreign criminals from jail
https://dailynewshungary.com/hungarian-government-to-release-foreign-criminals-from-jail/
Ireland - Prison boss says short sentences should be ‘discouraged’ to ease overcrowding
News 13-15 May
Africa
Nigeria - Prison decongestion: FG asks governors to waive minor fines owed by inmates
https://www.thecable.ng/prison-decongestion-fg-asks-governors-to-waive-minor-fines-owed-by-inmates
Zimbabwe - President grants amnesty to prisoners
https://www.chronicle.co.zw/president-grants-amnesty-to-prisoners/
Americas
US - California is one of 16 states that allows forced labor, but a constitutional amendment seeks to change that
Asia
Bangladesh - Dozens of foreigners in jail after serving out term
https://www.newagebd.net/article/201623/dozens-of-foreigners-in-jail-after-serving-out-term
India - Centre finalises ‘Model Prisons Act, 2023’, new law to allow reform and rehabilitation of prisoners
Iran hangs seven people in one day after UN voices concern over execution surge
https://metro.co.uk/2023/05/12/iran-hangs-seven-people-in-one-day-after-un-voices-concerns-18774328/
Malaysia seeks to decriminalise possession, use of small amounts of drugs
https://news.yahoo.com/malaysia-seeks-decriminalise-possession-small-084636318.html
Philippines - The decongestion goes on: BuCor releases 267 prisoners
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1769305/the-decongestion-continuous-bucor-releases-267-prisoners
Europe
Revealed: almost 1,000 rapes in prisons in England and Wales since 2010
Ireland - Cork judge 'pushing community service' in light of prison overcrowding
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/courtandcrime/arid-41137900.html
Oceania
Australia (Victoria) - State says sorry for Indigenous deaths in custody, as prisoners say nothing has changed
New Zealand - ‘Systemic failures’ by Corrections revealed after ‘vulnerable’ inmate released without meds, care plan dies two days after 21st by suicide
News 12 May 2023
Africa
Namibia bans tattoos on prison officers - report
https://www.africanews.com/2023/05/11/namibia-bans-tattoos-on-prison-officers-report/
Nigeria - Prison decongestion: NGO said it resolved 1400 Pre-trial cases in five years
Americas
US - Children Suffer When Parents Are Imprisoned
https://www.vera.org/news/children-suffer-when-parents-are-imprisoned
US - First Hearing Held on Ohio Legislation to Abolish the Death Penalty
Asia
India - Open Prison as a Jail reform
https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/open-prison-as-a-jail-reform/
Europe
EU prisons in 2021: populations & overcrowding
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20230512-2
England and Wales - Improving resettlement support for prison leavers
https://www.fenews.co.uk/skills/improving-resettlement-support-for-prison-leavers/
England and Wales - Inside Swansea Prison's kitchen where Wagamama is teaching inmates to cook its food
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/inside-swansea-prison-kitchen-workshop-26894001
England and Wales - Salvation Army's prison partnership has bags of opportunity
https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/news/salvation-armys-prison-partnership-has-bags-opportunity
Ireland - Report recommends prison service keeps responsibility for healthcare
Turkey - Strip-search is an ongoing practice in Edirne prison, opposition deputy says
https://stockholmcf.org/strip-search-is-an-ongoing-practice-in-edirne-prison-opposition-deputy-says/
Oceania
Australian Prisons Have a Hepatitis C Problem, and Drug Criminalisation is to Blame
Australia - 'Litany of failings' in Indigenous man's death after prison altercation
News 11 May 2023
Africa
Nigeria - Prison inmates deserve improved living conditions: PCC
https://gazettengr.com/prison-inmates-deserve-improved-living-conditions-pcc/
Americas
As El Salvador’s Gang Crackdown Continues, Citizens Wonder What’s Next?
US - New Report Shows Mass Incarceration Doesn’t Stop at the Prison Walls
US - Solitary Confinement Tragedies Expose Flaws in Rhode Island’s Prison System
https://upriseri.com/solitary-confinement-rhode-islands-prison-system/
US - Louisiana leads nation in percentage of people in adult prisons for crimes they committed as kids
Asia
India - Prisons Dept seeks job opportunities for inmates in hospitality industry
Philippines - Vaccinate inmates, personnel vs COVID, jail officials urged
https://malaya.com.ph/news_news/vaccinate-inmates-personnel-vs-covid-jail-officials-urged/
Europe
England and Wales - Yorkshire prisoner lands chef job thanks to prison work scheme
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/yorkshire-prisoner-lands-chef-job-26884666
England and Wales - HMP Bronzefield and the ethics of pregnant women in prison
Pyhäselkä and Kylmäkoski prisons to be converted into "smart prisons" in Finland
News 10 May
Africa
Kenya - State to spend Sh3 billion to modernise prisons
Americas
Canada's justice system favours those who can afford a lawyer, say experts
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/canadian-court-system-lawyers-fairness-justice-1.6836073
Cayman Islands - Report recommends ‘transformational change’ in prison system
https://www.caymancompass.com/2023/05/10/report-recommends-transformational-change-in-prison-system/
US - California Confronts Overdose Epidemic Among Former Prison Inmates
Asia
Iran: Over 200 executed since January; Türk calls for end to death penalty
https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/05/1136497
Europe
Belgium violated serial killer’s rights, European rights court rules
England and Wales - HMP Gartree: Increase in violence at 'dark and dingy' prison
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-65540294
England and Wales - Jump in self-harm and assaults at women’s jails
https://insidetime.org/jump-in-self-harm-and-assaults-at-womens-jails/
Ireland - New accommodation block ends ‘slopping out’ at Limerick Prison
https://www.limerickpost.ie/2023/05/10/new-accommodation-block-ends-slopping-out-at-limerick-prison/
Oceania
Australia - Advocate slams Darwin Prison's decision to separate newborns from their mothers
Australia - First Nations women respond to Banksia Hill riots with call for immediate reform to youth justice
News 6 – 9 May
Africa
COVID-19, conflict, climate change, and the human rights of people living in African prisons
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(23)00080-3/fulltext
Kenya - Govt Prison Decongestion Plan To Halve Inmate Population: Kindiki
Americas
US - How the Prison Litigation Reform Act Blocks Justice for Prisoners
https://theappeal.org/prison-litigation-reform-act-repeal-unjust/
US - Minnesota may make prison phone calls free to keep families connected, reduce recidivism
Asia
India - How Gangwars Have Played Out In Maharashtra’s Prisons
Islamic State: Hundreds of women on hunger strike at Iraqi prison
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-65498377
Malaysia - Give ex-prisoners a second chance, says prison director
Philippines - 75 COVID-19 positive NBP inmates still in isolation
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2023/05/06/2264166/75-covid-19-positive-nbp-inmates-still-isolation
Europe
England and Wales - Watchdog: ‘Ministers blocked Covid jabs for prisoners’
https://insidetime.org/watchdog-ministers-blocked-covid-jabs-for-prisoners/
England and Wales - Figures reveal scale of rape and violence reported at Salford's troubled Forest Bank prison
Ireland - 400 new jail places to house 620 extra inmates
Ireland - Prison overcrowding behind surge in assaults – Prison Officers’ Association
Ireland - Sensory garden for children of prisoners opens in Wheatfield Prison
https://www.rte.ie/news/dublin/2023/0508/1382495-sensory-garden/
Netherlands - More research needed into drugs use in Dutch prisons: Trimbos
https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2023/05/more-research-needed-into-drugs-use-in-dutch-prisons-trimbos/
Oceania
Australia - ACT Government delays raising the age to 14, defying advice from Aboriginal, legal and human rights organisations
https://www.hrlc.org.au/news/2023/05/09/act-raise-age
New Zealand - Waikato prison to resume in-person visits for first time since start of pandemic
News 5 May 2023
UNAIDS calls for access to HIV prevention, treatment and care in prisons, including access to life saving harm reduction services
Americas
US - Dying Behind Bars: Another Form Of Capital Punishment
https://theappeal.org/aging-prison-healthcare-death-by-incarceration/
US - Prisoners in cages doesn’t violate policy because there is no policy, says Texas official
US (Virginia) – The COVID-19 pandemic created a courts backlog, and people are still waiting in jail
Asia
India - High time prisoners are allowed to vote: Experts
Europe
England and Wales - 50k prison-leavers to plug labour shortages – new report urges
https://www.fenews.co.uk/skills/50k-prison-leavers-to-plug-labour-shortages-new-report-urges/
Ireland - Mountjoy Prison overcrowding — is a new Dublin jail really the solution?
Moldova expands harm reduction services to all prisons
News 4 May 2023
Americas
Antigua & Barbuda - Prison boss to introduce tighter policies to reduce Covid-19 outbreaks
https://antiguaobserver.com/prison-boss-to-introduce-tighter-policies-to-reduce-covid-19-outbreaks/
US - Prison Labor: Where ‘Dead-End’ Jobs Meet 21st Century Slavery
https://theappeal.org/prison-labor-slavery/
Asia
Questions raised over facial recognition use in Indian prisons
India - Delhi government proposes virtual court appearance for those under trial
Philippines - As COVID-19 cases rise, BuCor suspends visitation in New Bilibid Prison
https://www.rappler.com/nation/covid-19-cases-rise-bucor-suspends-visitation-new-bilibid-prison/
Europe
England and Wales - Teenager who gave birth alone in prison cell was vulnerable to exploitation – inquest
Almost half of inmates at Scottish prison report abuse from staff
https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/almost-half-inmates-scottish-prison-063926076.html
Scotland - Serious safety issues found at HMP Addiewell
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-65472523
Oceania
Australia - WA Kids in Adult Prison Crisis Worsens, Despite State Having Proven Punitive Measures Fail
News 3 May
Africa
Kenya - 7, 000 Petty Offenders Freed From Prison In Decongestion Program
South Africa - Questions over what Correctional Services will do with Mangaung prison after contract terminated
Americas
The number of medically-assisted deaths in Canada's prisons a concern for some experts
Asia
Thailand - Phuket prison inmates to train as boatbuilders in rehabilitation project
Europe
England and Wales - Decision delayed for second time on controversial super prison near Harborough
England and Wales - HMP Stoke Heath 'still to recover' from Covid restrictions
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-65454585
England and Wales - Inquest launched into death of baby at HMP Bronzefield
https://www.thejusticegap.com/inquest-launched-into-death-of-baby-at-hmp-bronzefield/
Ireland - Prison officers don riot gear to tackle psychotic inmates
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41130154.html
Oceania
Australia - Why a new $1.1 billion prison in Victoria is sitting empty
News 28 April – 2 May
Africa
Madagascar: Extreme prison overcrowding needs urgent fix, UN experts
South Africa - G4S served with notice to scrap Mangaung prison contract
https://sundayworld.co.za/news/g4s-served-with-notice-to-scrap-mangaung-prison-contract/
Americas
US - Federal prisons want inmates to pay victims, before making phone calls or buying shoes
US - Why Inflation Price Hikes Are Even Worse Behind Bars
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/05/02/why-inflation-price-hikes-are-even-worse-behind-bars
Europe
England and Wales - Terrorists face tougher prison rules to prevent the spreading of extremist views behind bars
England and Wales - Prisons haven’t really recovered from Covid
https://insidetime.org/prisons-havent-really-recovered-from-covid/
France prison population reaches all-time record with 120% capacity
Irish prison overcrowding leads to early release of inmates, including attempted murderers
https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/irish-prison-overcrowding-leads-early-29855642
Norway has ditched the word 'prison'. Scotland should think about doing the same – Karyn McCluskey
European Court Fines Russia for Abuse of 'Outcast' Prisoners
Oceania
Australia - ‘Too much money is spent on jails and policing’: what Aboriginal communities told us about funding justice reinvestment to keep people out of prison
News 28 April
Americas
US - Rates of Chronic Conditions, Asthma in Prisons May Be Severely Undertreated, Study Finds
US - Tablets Seen as Tool to Improve Behavior of Prison Inmates
https://www.govtech.com/public-safety/tablets-seen-as-tool-to-improve-behavior-of-prison-inmates
US (Michigan) - Declining prison population does not translate to decreased spending
https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/declining-prison-population-translate-decreased-17922378.php
US - ‘We went from almost no lockdowns to daily lockdowns’: The mental health crisis inside California women’s prisons
https://www.statnews.com/2023/04/28/lockdowns-prisons-mental-health/
US - UN group to tour Los Angeles jails accused of ‘squalid, inhumane’ conditions
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/28/united-nations-tour-los-angeles-jails-meet-families
Asia
China rehabilitation scheme makes morticians of murderers
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/china-rehabilitation-scheme-makes-morticians-031108156.html
Europe
England and Wales - Self-harm incidents rise by more than a third in women’s prisons
England and Wales - Body-worn video cameras for every prison officer to boost prison safety
England and Wales - Conditions at Cookham Wood young offender unit deemed a scandal
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-65415006
Ireland - Prison overcrowding being driven by 50% rise in number of sexual offenders
Ireland - Prison Service says it's unacceptable to detain people with mental health issues
https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/0428/1379612-prison-mental-health/
Oceania
Australia - ‘Children don’t belong in prison’: We shouldn’t wait four years to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14
Guam - Major: DOC's local prison population highest in 29 years
News 27 April
Americas
Canada - Inmates in Hamilton, Ontario jail hold week-long hunger strike against deplorable conditions
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/04/27/ekrj-a27.html
Curacao - Justice Minister wants new prison with help from the Netherlands
US - When a prison sentence becomes a death sentence
Asia
India - Many overcrowded Bihar jails have double or more than double prisoner capacity
Jordan must renew Defense Order 28 to avoid prison overcrowding — expert
Pakistan’s Premier, Punjab Officials Take Up Prison Reform
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/04/26/pakistans-premier-punjab-officials-take-prison-reform
Europe
Ireland - POA concern over 'pack 'em, stack 'em' prison policy
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2023/0427/1379372-prisons-overcrowding-poa/
Ireland - Harris promises 620 more prison beds over next five years to address overcrowding
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41125960.html
Ireland - Rise in assaults on officers and increase in prison violence 'of major concern'
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41126104.html
News 26 April
Africa
81% of Nigerians experience legal challenges as experts canvass community justice system
Americas
Canada - Ontario to pay $33M in proposed settlement for class actions over London jail conditions
Canada - Inmates sleeping on the ground at Windsor Prison as overcrowding continues
US - America’s book bans have already come for prisons
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/prison-book-bans-florida-texas-b2324553.html
US - 'A lot of bang for your buck' with jail-based arts programs
https://www.vermontpublic.org/2023-04-25/a-lot-of-bang-for-your-buck-with-jail-based-arts-programs
Asia
India - Soon, e-cycles to make patrolling easy for wardens in central prisons
Singapore hangs Indian-origin man over smuggling of 1 kg of cannabis
Europe
England and Wales - Prisoner is suicide risk after more than two years in solitary, high court hears
England and Wales - West London prison blighted by 'unacceptable levels of violence' with prisoners too scared to leave cells for fear of being beaten up
https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/west-london-prison-blighted-unacceptable-26777273
Oceania
Australia (Victoria) - Keeping Young People Out Of Criminal Justice System
https://www.miragenews.com/keeping-young-people-out-of-criminal-justice-993478/
News 25 April
Africa
Kenya - Alternative dispute resolution key to end overcrowding in prisons
Americas
US - Prisons and pandemic preparedness
https://www.bmj.com/content/381/bmj.p860
US - A hectic job made worse by staffing shortages – a look inside a Louisiana prison
US - How a 1970s Prisoner-Organized Literacy Program Changed Maryland’s Penitentiaries
Europe
England and Wales - Dorset prison violence concern after inmate's throat cut
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-65384441
Northern Ireland - Diplock courts: Use of non-jury trial system to continue in NI
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65384593
Swiss Prison Inmate Numbers Remain Below Pandemic Level
https://menafn.com/1106082217/Swiss-Prison-Inmate-Numbers-Remain-Below-Pandemic-Level
News 22 – 24 April
Africa
Eid Al Fitr: Morocco’s King pardons nearly 1,520 inmates
https://northafricapost.com/67097-eid-al-fitr-moroccos-king-pardons-nearly-1520-iinmates.html
First phase of new detention centre in Seychelles expected end of October
South Africa - Prison watchdog needs more teeth to curb graft
Uganda - Minister Lugoloobi to push for better prison conditions
Americas
Canada - Rally calls for improved prison conditions as inmates in Hamilton and Niagara refuse food
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/hamilton-niagara-prisoner-hunger-strike-1.6819132
US - Washington state eliminates death penalty from law
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/21/politics/washington-state-death-penalty-eliminated/index.html
US - Michigan Clears Criminal Records for Thousands of Low-Level, Nonviolent Offenders–‘Meaningful 2nd Chances’
Asia
Pakistan: Women in prison subjected to discrimination, mistreatment
https://theprint.in/world/pakistan-women-in-prison-subjected-to-discrimination-mistreatment/1533432/
How Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Pushed Through Asia’s First Cannabis Legalization
https://time.com/6273768/anutin-charnvirakul-interview-cannabis/
Europe
England and Wales - Prisoners 'running the wings', 'inmates off their t*ts', staff who have 'lost control' - the jail that's had £1bn of public money
Ireland - Minister 'should no longer pick people to Prison Visiting Committees'
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41122921.html
Irish Prison Service confirms overcrowding issues
https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/0423/1378662-irish-prison-service-confirms-overcrowding-issues/
Luxembourg - Ten prisoners escape from Walloon prison, four still on the run
https://www.brusselstimes.com/468098/ten-prisoners-escape-from-walloon-prison-four-still-on-the-run
News 21 April
Africa
Kenya: Thika Prison to Be Decongested, Inmates Shifted After Cholera Outbreak
https://allafrica.com/stories/202304200295.html
Nigeria - Decongesting death row
https://thenationonlineng.net/decongesting-death-row/
Americas
Costa Rica Segura: President Chaves’ plan to tackle crime and violence
US - Prison educational programs were impacted by COVID-19
https://america.cgtn.com/2023/04/20/prison-educational-programs-were-impacted-by-covid-19
US - The fight to limit solitary confinement in California prisons is set to roil Sacramento again
US - Fewer activities, more assaults: Maryland prisons are short 3,400 officers, union warns
US - Shackling pregnant inmates would be banned in Pennsylvania prisons under proposed law
Asia
Pakistan - Women in prison
https://www.nation.com.pk/21-Apr-2023/women-in-prison
Philippines - 580 inmates freed from BuCor prisons
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2023/04/21/2260488/580-inmates-freed-bucor-prisons
Singapore to resume executions after 6-month break
Europe
Germany struggles to reform 1930s law jailing fare dodgers
https://www.macaubusiness.com/germany-struggles-to-reform-1930s-law-jailing-fare-dodgers/
News 20 April
Africa
Women in Egypt’s Prisons: Tales of Oppression, Abuse and Human Rights Violations
South Africa - Another G4S employee arrested in connection with Thabo Bester escape plot
Americas
New wave of violence in Ecuador’s prisons leaves 19 inmates dead in four days
Unpacking Honduras’ Plan for Real Disarmament and Prison Reform
https://ticotimes.net/2023/04/19/unpacking-honduras-plan-for-real-disarmament-and-prison-reform
US - As pandemic prison populations fell, proportion of Black prisoners rose
https://news.yale.edu/2023/04/19/pandemic-prison-populations-fell-proportion-black-prisoners-rose
Asia
India - Delhi Prisons Introduce New Rule Granting Remission For Good Conduct During Undertrial Period
Israeli criminal justice system 'overloaded,' needs reform - Gideon Sa'ar
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-739665
Malaysia - Prisoner release programme can ease overcrowding and help with reconciliation, say NGOs
Philippines - Improving PH jail system
https://opinion.inquirer.net/162516/improving-ph-jail-system
Europe
England and Wales - What does it mean to be an older person in prison?
https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/what-does-it-mean-to-be-an-older-person-in-prison
Oceania
Australia - New Queensland drug laws will keep thousands of people out of justice system, advocates say
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-20/drug-laws-end-to-war-on-drugs-qld-advocates-say/102235406
New Zealand - Double-bunking rises at Rimutaka as Corrections grapples with NZ prison staffing
New Zealand - Probation staff on strike over cost of living, pay gap with private sector
News 18-19 April
Africa
3,298 inmates in Nigerian prisons to face hangman’s noose – Official
https://persecondnews.com/2023/04/19/61832/
South Africa needs an effective prison rehabilitation programme
Americas
Antigua & Barbuda - Prison officers taking polygraphs in bid to stamp out ‘integrity issues’
https://antiguaobserver.com/prison-officers-taking-polygraphs-in-bid-to-stamp-out-integrity-issues/
New clashes aggravate prison crisis in Ecuador
https://www.plenglish.com/news/2023/04/18/new-clashes-aggravate-prison-crisis-in-ecuador/
US - Sentencing policy sparks clash over future criminal justice bills
https://rollcall.com/2023/04/18/sentencing-policy-sparks-clash-over-future-criminal-justice-bills/
US - Efforts Spreading to Curb Generational Incarceration
Asia
Thailand - Reforms 'can't end' with legalised cannabis
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2551486/reforms-cant-end-with-legalised-cannabis
Europe
Belgium - Long-term perspective: Flemish prison education overhauled
https://www.brusselstimes.com/461772/long-term-perspective-flemish-prison-education-overhauled
Ireland - Overhaul of Prison Visiting Committees recommended, Cabinet told
Malta - Reform to cut criminal court delays, trim prison terms for early admissions
Russian Prisons ‘Lost’ Up to 17,000 Convicts in 2022 - Mediazona
Sweden could need up to 16 new prisons due to tougher stance on crime
Oceania
Australia - Queensland among worst violators of children’s rights in youth justice system, research finds
New Zealand - A $4 million Corrections recruitment drive boosts prison officer ranks by 53
News 15 – 17 April
Africa
Protracted Pre-trial Detention Crowding Prisons and Undermining Access to Justice in Liberia
South Africa - Corruption in prisons threatens the criminal justice system
Americas
Canada - New program to house, help Indigenous women who are released from jail opens in Saskatoon
Colombia - 4,000 Inpec guards are investigated for irregularities in prisons
Gang clash leaves at least 12 dead in Ecuador prison
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/gang-clash-leaves-least-12-dead-ecuador-prison-2023-04-15/
U.S. prison inmates undertreated for chronic health conditions
https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2023/04/14/prison-inmates-medical-care/7121681487882/
US - New Report Reveals Systemic Medical Neglect and Violence in CA Women’s Prisons
Asia
Giving China’s Death Row Inmates a Second Chance
https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1012714
India - Court directs jail authorities not to strip search undertrial prisoners
Iraqi prisons overcrowded up to 300 percent capacity: Justice ministry
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/140420231
Malaysia - Abolish solitary confinement, says Bar Council
https://www.thesundaily.my/local/abolish-solitary-confinement-says-bar-council-DB10880056
Myanmar military pardons more than 3,000 prisoners for New Year
Philippines - BJMP congestion rate down by 367%
https://mb.com.ph/2023/4/16/bjmp-congestion-rate-down-by-367
Singapore - Ex-offenders to work with prison officers to keep former convicts from reoffending
Europe
Portuguese prisoners build confessionals ahead of Pope's visit
Oceania
Australia - Six officers injured in ‘major disturbance’ involving juvenile detainees at WA’s Casuarina adult prison
Australia - WA Department of Justice not going far enough to implement coronial findings, Inspector of Custodial Services finds
News 14 April
Africa
South Africa - Mangaung prison an unaffordable strain for correctional service
Zim prison conditions, a recipe for disaster
Americas
St Vincent and the Grenadines - Legal practitioners knock conditions at the prisons – Acting prison boss says its not that bad
US - New York’s ‘Problem-Solving’ Courts Were Shuttered by Covid. They Haven’t Rebounded.
US - Post-Parkland, Florida OKs easier path for death penalty
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/florida-ap-ron-desantis-tallahassee-nikolas-cruz-b2319554.html
Asia
India - More than half of prisoners released during peak COVID-19 yet to surrender as 15-day SC deadline ends
Iran executions surged in 2022 to 'spread fear' - report
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-65262012
Europe
England and Wales - Catalogue of failures in damning prison report on Evesham's HMP Long Lartin
England and Wales - Court backlog: MoJ 'likely to miss target'
https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/court-backlog-moj-likely-to-miss-target/5115725.article
News 13 April
Africa
Kenya - Inmates and prison staff deserve better than this
Liberia: Senior prison managers meet to validate a new strategic plan for the Bureau of Corrections and Rehabilitation (BCR)
Americas
Antigua & Barbuda - Prisoners clamour for early release amid Covid outbreak and overcrowding
Six inmates found hanged in Ecuador prison
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2023/04/12/Six-inmates-found-hanged-in-Ecuador-prison-
US - ‘Ava’s Law’ would allow pregnant women facing prison in Florida to delay their sentence
US - Colorado reduces prison sentences for inmates pursuing higher education
US (Indiana) - Man with schizophrenia was left naked in jail cell for weeks before death, video shows
Europe
England and Wales - Investigation after 12-hour Strangeways prison roof standoff with inmate
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-65260439
England and Wales - Major prison expansion as cells for extra 103 female criminals to be built
https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/major-prison-expansion-cells-extra-8346484
Ireland - Government can address new surge in prison overcrowding without building more prisons
https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-41114629.html
Oceania
New Zealand - Nearly 2000 community Corrections workers walk off the job in strike for better pay
News 6 – 12 April 2023
Americas
Covid outbreak in Antigua’s prison
https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/covid-19/covid-outbreak-in-antiguas-prison/
US - New York flouts prison solitary confinement rules: lawsuit
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/new-york-ap-albany-the-box-luis-garcia-b2315715.html
US - Inflation Is Putting Food Out of Reach in New York Prisons
https://www.nysfocus.com/2023/04/11/prison-package-ban-inflation-hunger/
US - Federal judge orders major changes to fix 'unconstitutional' conditions in Arizona prisons
Asia
India - MHA to provide financial help to poor jail inmates unable to afford penalty, bail amount
India - Covid relief over, 3,000 undertrials return to Delhi prisons today
Philippines - 700 Bilibid guards replaced as part of prison reform
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/04/12/2258376/700-bilibid-guards-replaced-part-prison-reform
Philippines - Books behind bars: Inmates read their way out of cramped jails
Europe
Recruitment drive brings in prison staff but Belgian cells still overcrowded
England and Wales - Prison officers 'at breaking point' as sick leave for mental stress surges
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/prison-officers-at-breaking-point-29661835
England and Wales - HMP Whitemoor: Jail was dirtiest ever seen by prison inspector
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-65243787
England and Wales - Pentonville Prison: Ex-inmate explains impact of overcrowding
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-64869698
Concerns over safety with almost 200 inmates sleeping on Irish prison floors
Justice on trial: The challenges facing Scotland's courts, prisons and police
Oceania
Australia - The NT raised the age of criminal responsibility, but advocates say the change is too slow
News 5 April
Worldwide Executions for Drugs More Than Doubled in 2022
https://filtermag.org/global-drug-executions-2022/
Africa
South Africa - Thabo Bester: Parliamentary briefing on prison escape postponed as G4S fails to appear, citing law
Americas
Three inmates dead in latest Ecuador prison riot
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230404-three-inmates-dead-in-latest-ecuador-prison-riot
Guyana - First quarter of prison agri programme very productive – Elliot
US rule to allow some inmates to stay home after COVID emergency lifts
U.S. panel to consider expanding compassionate release for prisoners
US - A month after a hunger strike, some Texas prisoners say they will do it again
https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/texas-prison-hunger-strike-extended-solitary-confinement/
Asia
Justice system plagued by low budgets: India Justice Report 2022
Rethinking Jordan’s overcrowded jails
https://asiatimes.com/2023/04/rethinking-jordans-overcrowded-jails/
Europe
England and Wales - Prisoners unable to do basic tasks at weekends, inspectorate finds
England and Wales - Victims and Prisoners Bill would swell prison population by 680
https://insidetime.org/victims-and-prisoners-bill-would-swell-prison-population-by-680/
England and Wales - Lewes Prison: Inmates face squalid conditions and violence, inspectors say
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-65173903
Oceania
The number of Aussie teens in detention or under supervision by the justice system continues to fall
https://phys.org/news/2023-04-aussie-teens-detention-justice-fall.html
News 4 April
Africa
Nigeria - Prison Decongestion in Sight as Item Moves to Concurrent List
South Africa - Prisons, profits and privatisation’s perils
https://mg.co.za/opinion/2023-04-04-prisons-profits-and-privatisations-perils/
Americas
US - The high cost of staying in touch while incarcerated can linger long after release
Asia
Israel Prison Service inaugurates inmate-run chocolate factory
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-736317
Malaysia - Consider rehabilitative justice, not punishment only
Europe
England and Wales - Isle of Sheppey prison is improving despite 'high risk of violence' and staff shortages
https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/isle-sheppey-prison-improving-despite-8317653
England and Wales - More male staff could help with violent offenders - probation boss
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65168181
Netherlands - More plea bargains agreed in bid to ease strain on courts
https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2023/04/more-plea-bargains-agreed-in-bid-to-ease-strain-on-courts/
Scotland - Growing number of phones and drugs being smuggled into prison via drones, figures show
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/growing-number-phones-drugs-being-29619869
News 1 – 3 April 2023
El Salvador: One year into state of emergency, authorities are systematically committing human rights violations
Mexico - 40 people die in a Ciudad Juárez detention centre fire, after guards refused to open the doors
Trinidad & Tobago - Prisons Commissioner backs release of reformed inmates
https://newsday.co.tt/2023/04/01/prisons-commissioner-backs-release-of-reformed-inmates/
US - 'Nobody's paying attention.' Advocates decry 'stringent' application of medical parole
Asia
Malaysia parliament approves law to remove mandatory death penalty
Europe
England and Wales - Report reveals concerns about prison overcrowding as two prisoners share cell made for one
Turkey’s Human Rights Association calls on authorities to end torture in prisons
Oceania
Australia - Woman left in 'urine-soaked clothes' in prison van
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8146407/woman-left-in-urine-soaked-clothes-in-prison-van/
News 31 March
Africa
South Africa - Government seeks options to dump G4S prison contract
Americas
Falklands Prison audit outcomes and recommendations published
https://en.mercopress.com/2023/03/30/falklands-prison-audit-outcomes-and-recommendations-published
US - The history of prison-run newspapers and why they're on the rise
US (New Jersey) - Budget plan includes wage hike for incarcerated people working prison jobs
US - Texas House says no to executing killers with 'severe mental illness'
US (Connecticut) - New Limits on Prison Strip Searches Stall in Committee as Lawmakers Explore Alternatives
US (California) - Inmates sue Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation over COVID outbreak
Asia
Malaysia - Ensure long-term prisoners’ dignity intact, govt told
Europe
Scotland - Prison: Burden of care falls disproportionately on women
Oceania
New Zealand - Three years since in-person prison visits allowed at some North Island facilities
News 30 March
Africa
Zimbabweans Start Debate on Ending Death Penalty
https://www.voanews.com/a/zimbabweans-start-debate-on-ending-death-penalty-/7026859.html
Americas
US - Prisons Use Menstruation as a Form of Punishment
https://time.com/6265653/prison-menstruation-punishment/
US - Colorado’s prison system is backlogged and costing millions
https://www.nbc11news.com/2023/03/29/colorados-prison-system-is-backlogged-costing-millions/
Asia
Malaysia - Home Ministry: Prisons nationwide have an excess of 6,675 inmates
Europe
England and Wales - Report reveals damaging role of gambling in prisons
England and Wales - Young Offenders Warn Settings are ‘Too Risky’ for their Families To Visit
Why books could help empty France's prisons
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230330-why-books-could-help-empty-france-s-prisons
Ireland - Cork Prison Hosts Pop-Up Restaurant
https://westernpeople.ie/2023/03/29/cork-prison-hosts-pop-up-restaurant/
Russian Prison Boss Offers Inmate Labor to Boost Military Production
News 29 March
Americas
Trinidad & Tobago - Judge: Prison Service must review sentences for 2 ‘lifers’
https://newsday.co.tt/2023/03/28/judge-prison-service-must-review-sentences-for-2-lifers/
Asia
India - 'Out Of Box Thinking Needed To Declog Prisons' : Supreme Court Tells Centre, States
India - Delhi Prisons to start skill development programme
https://www.millenniumpost.in/delhi/delhi-prisons-to-start-skill-development-programme-513290
Omani initiative aims to release 1,300 prisoners during Ramadan
In Pakistan’s Overcrowded Prisons, Inmates Deprived Of Healthcare: Human Rights Watch Report
Europe
Malta - Minister urges banks not to discriminate against former prison inmates
https://newsbook.com.mt/en/minister-urges-banks-not-to-discriminate-against-former-prison-inmates/
Small cells at Scottish prison 'breached international standards'
Oceania
Australia - SA home detention instead of jail saves $200m
https://indaily.com.au/news/2023/03/29/sa-home-detention-instead-of-jail-saves-200m/
Australia - No plans to build new Northern Territory prison amid record inmate numbers and proposed tougher bail changes
News 28 March
Asia
Cambodia - Prison living conditions ‘better now’, says official
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501263144/prison-living-conditions-better-now-says-official/
UN human rights office ‘deeply concerned’ about North Korean prison camps
Philippines - Remulla to new BuCor chief: Help me clean up prison, penal colonies
https://malaya.com.ph/news_news/remulla-to-new-bucor-chief-help-me-clean-up-prison-penal-colonies/
Europe
England and Wales - Prisons to overhaul racism complaints system
https://insidetime.org/prisons-to-overhaul-racism-complaints-system/
England and Wales - Justice Committee publishes survey on public attitudes towards sentencing
England and Wales - New jails ‘will struggle to find staff’, watchdogs warn
https://insidetime.org/new-jails-will-struggle-to-find-staff-watchdogs-warn/
England and Wales - HMP Lowdham Grange confirms third prisoner death in 3 weeks
https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/hmp-lowdham-grange-confirms-third-8296928
Scotland - Bail and Release from Custody Bill: In Context
https://www.holyrood.com/inside-politics/view,bail-and-release-from-custody-bill-in-context
Oceania
Australia - New report reveals the ACT's prison system is 'screaming out for reform'
https://the-riotact.com/new-report-reveals-the-acts-prison-system-is-screaming-out-for-reform/646909
News 25 – 27 March
Africa
South Africa - Prison break: Dozens of inmates escape from jails around the country
Americas
The rampant abuse in El Salvador’s prisons: ‘They beat him to death in the cell and dragged him out like an animal’
Trinidad & Tobago - Transforming prisoners through music
https://newsday.co.tt/2023/03/25/transforming-prisoners-through-music/
Push to expand voting rights in US for those held in jails
https://www.aol.com/news/push-expand-voting-rights-us-162745978.html
US - Idaho governor signs firing squad execution bill into law
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/idaho-governor-signs-firing-squad-execution-bill-into-law/
Asia
Malaysia - Bill to abolish mandatory death penalty tabled for first reading
Europe
Pregnant women in English jails are seven times more likely to suffer stillbirth
England and Wales - New scheme to kickstart prison literacy drive and cut crime
https://www.fenews.co.uk/fe-voices/new-scheme-to-kickstart-prison-literacy-drive-and-cut-crime/
England and Wales - Hundreds of children made to wear GPS tags by UK's Ministry of Justice
Italy - Nordio vows to ease jail overcrowding
Oceania
Australia - Northern Territory prison population rises to record levels
New Zealand - How many guards have been hired after Corrections' $4m ad campaign?
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/03/27/how-many-guards-have-been-hired-after-corrections-4m-ad-campaign/
News 24 March
Americas
Trinidad & Tobago - PM: Criminal justice system slow, but it has not collapsed
https://newsday.co.tt/2023/03/24/pm-criminal-justice-system-slow-but-it-has-not-collapsed/
US - Private prisons ban closer to law in Minnesota, flogging ‘perverse incentives’ lawmakers say
Asia
India - Supreme Court Directs All Prisoners Who Were Released On COVID-19 Parole To Surrender Within 15 Days
Torture, forced abortions and insects for food: Life inside North Korean jails, says this NGO
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/23/asia/north-korea-torture-prison-report-intl-hnk-dst/index.html
Europe
England and Wales - MPs and peers call for prison education to be renationalised
https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/12848/MPs-and-peers-call-for-prison-education-to-be-renationalised
England and Wales - Why it makes no sense to increase prison places for women
https://www.thejusticegap.com/why-it-makes-no-sense-to-increase-prison-places-for-women/
Italy - 23 prison officers suspended in inmate 'torture'
Oceania
Australia - ‘Bully or be bullied’: Harassment, sexism rife among staff in Victoria’s prisons, report finds
News 23 March
Africa
Kenya: Prisons Target 10 Million Trees in Decongestion Drive to See Petty Offenders Freed
https://allafrica.com/stories/202303220458.html
Americas
Salvadoran government points out that its new prison is the “safest” in America
Asia
In Kyrgyzstan's only female prison, Nowruz brings a moment of respite
Europe
England and Wales - Leading UK bosses join mission to get thousands more prisoners into work
Ireland - ‘Nobody should be at risk of violence in prison' – Justice Minister says new rules on management of trans offenders to be published
Oceania
Experts, lawyers lift lid on Australia's 'woefully under-funded' prison mental health services
News 22 March
Africa
Egypt replaces 15 traditional prisons with rehabilitation centres: Interior ministry
https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/492106.aspx
Ugandan MPs pass bill imposing death penalty for homosexuality
Americas
State Prison Sentences in the U.S. Are Getting Longer—But Not Necessarily Keeping Us Safer
https://time.com/6264655/state-prisoners-us-long-sentences/
US - Here’s How the Prisons Agency Fared During the Pandemic
https://www.govexec.com/oversight/2023/03/heres-how-prisons-agency-fared-during-pandemic/384261/
Asia
Bahrain - Open prisons set to be launched
https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/1207408/Open-prisons-set-to-be-launched
Malaysia - Home Ministry: Out of every 800 inmates released, only one returns to prison
Europe
Belgium announces new prisons to tackle 'catastrophic' detention system
Northern Ireland - Stormont inertia may hinder prison care, says ombudsman
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65028739
With crowded jails, North Macedonia adopts pandemic amnesty
Oceania
Australia - ‘Jailing is failing’: How to fix a justice system that punishes disadvantage
Australia - Victoria's Centre of Excellence VET program helps prisoners gain skills to prepare for employment
News 21 March
Africa
Egypt: Human rights groups warn of 'torture and abuse' at Badr prison complex
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-badr-prison-abuse-torture-rights-groups
Americas
Canada - More detentions won’t improve public safety
US - Arizona plans to dramatically increase hepatitis C testing and treatment in prisons
https://www.statnews.com/2023/03/20/arizona-hepatitis-c-prison/
US - Idaho bill to execute inmates by firing squad clears Legislature, heads to governor
Asia
Malaysia - Govt looking to end natural life imprisonment
Malaysia - ‘Imprisonment should be last resort’
https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2023/03/21/imprisonment-should-be-last-resort
Model prisoners hired by Thai fruit exporter due to worker shortage
UAE President orders release of 1,025 prisoners for Ramadan
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/uae-president-orders-release-of-1025-inmates-for-ramadan
Europe
England and Wales - Empowering Former Inmates through Scaffolding
https://scaffmag.com/2023/03/empowering-former-inmates-through-scaffolding/
News 18 – 20 March
Americas
Canada - Report outlines significant deprivations of liberty in provincial jails in Nova Scotia
Costa Rican President Implements Tougher Measures for Criminals in Jail
Sint Maarten - Court calls end to prison strike, orders medical examinations
https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/court-calls-end-to-prison-strike-orders-medical-examinations
US - What does it take to end a life sentence? For these formerly incarcerated actors, it’s theater
US - Families of 14 inmates who died in West Virginia jail allege negligence
Asia
Cambodia - Over 1,200 prisoners pardoned last year
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/1257840/over-1200-prisoners-pardoned-last-year/
India - 20 new high-tech jails to come up in U.P.
India - Maharashtra prisons overcrowded; government plans five new jails, expansion
India - How Delhi prisons are dealing with inmates' health issues
Philippines - BJMP congestion rate dips to 370%
https://mb.com.ph/2023/3/17/bjmp-congestion-rate-dips-to-370-2
Europe
England and Wales - MP condemns government over ‘shocking’ violence at maximum security jail
Oceania
Australia - Human rights advocates sound alarm as Queensland passes "dangerous" youth justice changes
News 17 March
Surge in executions of drug offenders in 2022, more on death row
Africa
Kenya - Community Urged To Help Re-Integrate Released Inmates
https://www.kenyanews.go.ke/community-urged-to-help-re-integrate-released-inmates/
Zimbabwe - Govt kickstarts public hearings on death penalty
Americas
Guyana - ‘Respect them’ – no emotional or physical abuse of prisoners – Benn tells Prison Service
St Vincent and the Grenadines - Prisoners with mental health issues to get further attention
https://www.searchlight.vc/news/2023/03/17/prisoners-mental-health-issues-get-attention/
US - The Rise of Life-Without-Parole Sentences
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/03/16/life-without-parole-the-wire-prison-comedy
US - How Incarceration Is Passed Down From Father To Son
https://www.fatherly.com/health/incarceration-passed-down-father-son
US - California to transform infamous San Quentin prison with Scandinavian ideas, rehab focus
https://news.yahoo.com/ending-san-quentin-know-california-120049869.html
US - Oregon’s Prison Population Is Aging, Fast
https://www.wweek.com/news/courts/2023/03/16/oregons-prison-population-is-aging-fast/
US - Restraint chairs in Alabama jails linked to controversial cases and deaths
Asia
India - 15,000 additional prisoners lodged in 59 jails: Bihar government
Europe
Cyprus - Prison guards call for end to overcrowding
https://cyprus-mail.com/2023/03/16/prison-guards-call-for-end-to-overcrowding/
England and Wales - Fast-track plan to open jails will free up space for new convicts in secure units
News 16 March
Americas
El Salvador: 2,000 more to prison, vows will 'never return'
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/el-salvador-2000-prison-vows-return-97895269
US - ACLU of Alaska sues over prison involuntary medication rules
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/aclu-alaska-sues-over-prison-221124484.html
US - Connecticut Department of Correction discusses reform after leaders visit Norwegian prisons
Europe
England and Wales - Prisoners may have been set free in error thanks to Dominic Raab’s ‘unlawful’ Parole Board reform
England and Wales - Decision delayed on controversial super prison near Harborough
Ireland - Tens of thousands of court summonses backlogged
https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/0316/1363521-courts-service-summons/
Turkey - Report on rights violations in prisons in earthquake regions
News 15 March
Americas
Canada - N.S. prisoners deprived of basic entitlements during pandemic: advocacy group
US - Bureau Of Prisons Sees End Of Cares Act Home Confinement, Some Prisoners Will Be Left Behind
US - Federal program seeks to standardize criminal justice data
https://www.axios.com/2023/03/14/police-prisons-criminal-justice-data-latino
Asia
India - 33 jails to be monitored via CCTVs
Japan court orders retrial of longest-serving death row convict over 1966 murder case
Myanmar - Inmates’ families in Arakan State call for allowing prison visits
https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/inmates-families-arakan-state-call-allowing-prison-visits
Europe
Northern Ireland - Concern over Prison Service resources to support inmates with multiple needs
Oceania
Australian boy, 13, spent six weeks in solitary confinement
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-64960479
News 14 March
Africa
Kenya - Lamu prison receives computers to boost digital literacy
Americas
US - COVID-19 is Not Over for People Who Are Incarcerated
https://www.aclu.org/news/criminal-law-reform/covid-19-is-not-over-for-people-who-are-incarcerated
US - Calif. prison program trains, graduates inmates as addiction counselors
US - California Lawmakers Introduce New Effort to Ban Involuntary Servitude as Punishment for Crime in California Prisons
US - New study highlights opioid overdose risk following release from Oregon prisons
Asia
India - Convicts in Coimbatore central prison get life skills training
India - Faridabad: Under open jail plan, convicts to get flats on prison premises
Iran grants amnesty to tens of thousands of prisoners
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230313-iran-grants-amnesty-to-tens-of-thousands-of-prisoners/
Malaysia - Risk assessment required before inmates eligible for community rehabilitation: Prisons Dept
Philippines - BJMP to add new jail libraries as it includes reading as part of PDL's rehab program
Europe
Belgium - 300 inmates given reduced sentences due to prison overcrowding
England and Wales - HMP Aylesbury ‘thrown into chaos’ by MoJ policy change, says watchdog
England and Wales - Campaigners say evidence for super prison near Harborough is ‘flimsy’
England and Wales - Senedd told inadequate support leads to women re-offending
https://nation.cymru/news/senedd-told-inadequate-support-leads-to-women-re-offending/
Italy - Drug addicts should be in rehab not jail: Delmastro
https://ilglobo.com/en/news/drug-addicts-should-be-in-rehab-not-jail-delmastro-91151/
Russia Turns to Women's Prisons for Fresh Recruits – Reports
Humza Yousaf vows to halve Scottish female prison population
News 11-13 March
Africa
Kenya - Government plans to upgrade prisons facilities
https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/realtime/2023-03-13-government-plans-to-upgrade-prisons-facilities/
Americas
Barbados - Court backlog still plaguing swift delivery of justice
https://barbadostoday.bb/2023/03/11/court-backlog-still-plaguing-swift-delivery-of-justice/
Canada - Justice minister commits to targeted bail reform to address repeat violent offenders
Turks & Caicos - Prison remains squalid, as govt mulls programme to fix drainage issues
US (Nevada) - Low wages for prison inmates ‘remnants of slavery,’ says lawmaker seeking to outlaw practice
US - Two Vermont prisons are experimenting with giving incarcerated people more independence
Asia
India - Maha: 9,284 inmates lodged in jails of Thane district against capacity of 3,794
Europe
Belgium - Record number of prisoners move to 'humane' prison in Dendermonde
https://www.brusselstimes.com/403188/record-number-of-prisoners-move-to-humane-prison-in-dendermonde
England and Wales - HM Prison and Probation Service COVID-19 Statistics, February 2023
England and Wales - Magistrates ‘disappointed’ as sentencing powers cut amid prison places crisis
England and Wales - ‘Systemic failure’ fuelling worsening homelessness and health among prison leavers in Newcastle
Oceania
Australia - Perth man on remand spends 15 days isolated at Casuarina Prison amid COVID-19 restrictions
Australia - Girls will be locked up for longer if Queensland passes new youth justice laws, advocates warn
News 10 March
Americas
US - Oregon looking at allowing people in prison to vote
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/oregon-looking-at-allowing-people-in-prison-to-vote/
Asia
India - State duty-bound to provide medical treatment to prisoners, says Bombay HC; awards Rs 10 lakh compensation to family of dead undertrial
Philippines - CHR urges review of cases involving ‘arbitrary arrest, detention’ to decongest jails
Europe
Belarus approves death penalty for officials convicted of high treason
England and Wales - The failures of education in prison are criminal
https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/the-failures-of-education-in-prison-are-criminal/
England and Wales - Eastwood Park Prison staff shortages impacting safety
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-64904946
England and Wales - Gang culture being ‘tacitly encouraged’ inside London prison, watchdog warns
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/feltham-prison-youths-gang-culture-watchdog-b1065975.html
England and Wales - Deaths, fights and cold food - report reveals shocking reality of life inside Wormwood Scrubs prison
https://www.mylondon.news/news/zone-1-news/deaths-fights-cold-food-report-26434087
England and Wales - Top Sheffield Crown Court judge highlights serious problems as prisons battle overcrowding 'crisis'
Oceania
Australia - Prison is no place for those trapped by mental illness
Australia - Think tank proposes prisoners work full time to fill job vacancies, save economy $2bn
Detainees with disabilities in 'spiral of hopelessness' after cancelled United Nations visit to Australia
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-10/cancelled-un-detention-visit-disability-prisoners/102068996
New Zealand - Only one prison fully staffed as shortage of guards grows
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300827133/only-one-prison-fully-staffed-as-shortage-of-guards-grows
News 9 March
Americas
US - The Bureau Of Prisons Evolving Calculation Of First Step Act
US (Nevada) - Prison inmates would earn ‘living wage’ under Legislature bill
Asia
Thailand: Annual report paints bleak picture of prison conditions
Europe
Prison staff in Belgium go on 24-hour strike
https://www.brusselstimes.com/397856/prison-staff-strike-in-belgium-impacting-prisoners
England and Wales - HMP Northumberland: Prison says post-release opportunities improving
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-64888418
England and Wales - Prison: Justice system makes many women reoffend, report finds
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-64890994
England and Wales - HMP Leeds: Armley prison told to take 'urgent action' after prisoner's suicide weeks after entering
First Assisted Suicide In Swiss Prison
https://www.barrons.com/news/first-assisted-suicide-in-swiss-prison-6d0d0572
Oceania
Australia - Youth prison guards walk off job at Banksia Hill Detention Centre as industrial dispute escalates
News 8 March
Africa
In prison for debt, thousands of women are the ‘double victims’ of poverty in Egypt
https://www.equaltimes.org/in-prison-for-debt-thousands-of
Americas
US - Study: Transition to adulthood brings mental health declines for Black youth who interact with juvenile justice system
https://phys.org/news/2023-03-transition-adulthood-mental-health-declines.html
Asia
India - ‘Prisons fare poorly in menstrual hygiene’
Malaysia - Community service for offenders helps prisons reduce overcrowding
Saifuddin: Malaysia to decriminalise minor drug offences to solve overcrowding in prisons
Europe
England and Wales - Black inmates face disproportionate force, prison watchdog warns
Oceania
Australia - Health care offered to women in prison should match community standards – and their rights
News 7 March
Africa
Zimbabwe - Ministry Of Justice To Seek Public Opinion On Death Penalty
https://news.pindula.co.zw/2023/03/07/ministry-of-justice-to-seek-public-opinion-on-death-penalty/
Americas
Inside El Salvador’s mega prison: the jail giving inmates less space than livestock
https://www.ft.com/content/d05a1b0a-f444-4337-99d2-84d9f0b59f95
Guyana - IDB loan to assist in prison reform
https://www.stabroeknews.com/2023/03/07/news/guyana/idb-loan-to-assist-in-prison-reform/
Europe
England and Wales - New early release scheme unveiled by Government
https://insidetime.org/new-early-release-scheme-unveiled-by-government/
Ireland - Prisoners to be given access to fertility treatment
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41086438.html
Scottish Prison Service faces first UK prosecution for corporate homicide
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-64841142
News 4 – 6 March
Africa
Two guards killed in gunfire as four break out of Mauritania jail
Parliament flags overcrowding in Zimbabwe prisons
https://www.zimlive.com/parliament-flags-overcrowding-in-zimbabwe-prisons/
Americas
Guyana - 39 prisoners graduate from crop husbandry & culinary art courses
https://newsroom.gy/2023/03/05/39-prisoners-graduate-from-crop-husbandry-culinary-art-courses/
Report Documents Devastating Findings Regarding Female Incarceration in USA and Role of COVID-19 Pandemic
US - Voting rights restored to more than 55,000 Minnesotans under new felon voting rights law
Asia
Caste system in Indian Prisons: Unconstitutional but legal – State prison manuals legitimise caste-based rules for prisoner activities, from cleaning to cooking. Judiciary must step in to strike down offending provisions
Europe
England and Wales - Criminals will be spared jail to avoid pressure on overcrowded prisons
England and Wales - Prisoners are demanding a pay rise as jail shops become unaffordable amid costing of living crisis
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/10315469/cost-of-living-prisoners-pay-rise/
Isle of Man - Showdown in court over jail’s Covid rules
https://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/showdown-in-court-over-jails-covid-rules-598780
Pressure on Scottish Government to replace Greenock's crumbling prison
Oceania
Australia - Indigenous woman alleges she was subject to torture and inhuman treatment in ACT prison
Australian prisons a "merry-go-round" of hepatitis C reinfection
News 3 March
Americas
Guyana - Lusignan Prison inmates transitioning into new state-of-the-art facility
Minister Phillip advocates for changes to Prison Work Programme in St. Kitts and Nevis
https://www.sknvibes.com/news/newsdetails.cfm/121347
US - Rehab on hold: COVID devastated prison learning programs
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ap-california-covid-los-angeles-isolation-b2292940.html
Understanding mass incarceration in the US is the first step to reducing a swollen prison population
US - California faces hefty court fines for lagging efforts to prevent prisoner suicides
Europe
England and Wales - 'My Friday prison release led to a disastrous mistake'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64831235
England and Wales - Norwich Prison installs quick-build cells to meet demand
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-64829261
Oceania
New Zealand - Prisoners to get free phone calls, but face-to-face visits still lacking
News 2 March
Africa
Egypt: Why inmates are dying in Sisi's new 'model' prison
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-why-inmates-dying-model-prison-badr
Americas
British Virgin Islands - E-tagging could ease prison issues, governor says
https://www.bvibeacon.com/e-tagging-could-ease-prison-issues-governor-says/
Health Care in U.S. Correctional Facilities — A Limited and Threatened Constitutional Right
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMms2211252?query=featured_home
US - Human rights attorneys urge UN to review the solitary confinement of Black Americans
https://www.yahoo.com/news/human-rights-attorneys-urge-un-181754022.html
US - Hunger strike in Texas prisons ends after seven weeks, for now
https://www.tpr.org/news/2023-03-01/hunger-strike-in-texas-prisons-ends-after-seven-weeks-for-now
US - Georgia prisons see unprecedented number of suicides
Asia
India - What a string of deaths in one jail says about the state of Jammu and Kashmir’s prisons
Behind bars, women of Iran's Evin prison refuse to give in
Philippines - Prison reform a cornerstone of Marcos gov’t, DoJ chief tells UN
Europe
England and Wales - Investigation after inmate dies at Devon prison
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clkrpyv1nl9o
Scotland - Latest quarterly criminal court figures continue to show progress
News 1 March
Americas
El Salvador - Bukele shows off thousands of imprisoned gang members in new mega prison
El Salvador Jailed 64,000 Gangsters in Crime Crackdown, Defense Minister Says
US - Drug Courts: Effective, Inexpensive, and Out of Reach for Many Americans
US - A new push to ban involuntary servitude in California prisons
Asia
Philippines - PH looks into ‘outside-the-box solutions’ to problems of congested prison facilities
Europe
England and Wales - Multiple failings identified after burglar found dead in cell at Hull Prison
NI prison service gets new 'game changer' body scanners
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-64803571
Draft protocol for restorative justice in Northern Ireland published
Oceania
Australia - Prison officers at private jail walk off the job in NSW
News 28 February
Africa
Democratic Republic of Congo - Sixty-six die at Kinshasa's main jail from January
https://kalkinemedia.com/news/world-news/sixty-six-die-at-kinshasas-main-jail-from-january
Egypt: Release Prison Population Figures
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/02/28/egypt-release-prison-population-figures
Americas
US - Bureau of Prisons: Assessment of Health Care Reentry Policies and Procedures Needed
https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-105610
Asia
Bangladesh - 2,162 convicts now in condemned cells: Report
https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/court/2162-convicts-now-condemned-cells-report-591542
Europe
England and Wales - New East Yorkshire 'all-electric' prison to be named HMP Millsike
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-64787360
Ireland – Over half of female prisoners are on methadone, new figures reveal
Oceania
Australia - Aboriginal man taken off waiting list for mental health bed a week before prison suicide, inquest told
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-28/tim-garner-death-in-custody-inquiry/102033654
Australia - Queensland boy held in solitary confinement in breach of youth justice laws, court hears
News 25 – 27 February
Americas
El Salvador Transfers First Prisoners to the Country’s New Mega Prison, With Capacity for 40,000 Inmates
Trinidad & Tobago - NGOs question delay in restarting prison rehab programmes
https://newsday.co.tt/2023/02/26/ngos-question-delay-to-restart-prison-rehab-programmes/
US - Fighting the High Cost of Prison Phone Calls
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/02/25/prison-phone-calls-colorado-biden-securus
UCLA Law Releases New Database to Monitor Deaths in U.S. Prisons
Asia
India - Jailhouse Rock in Ludhiana: A radio station by and for the prisoners
Israel: UN experts alarmed by potential reinstatement of death penalty for “terrorism offences”
Singapore Prison Service to study effectiveness of imprisonment, community-based corrections
Europe
Trans violent offenders banned from women’s prisons in England and Wales
Netherlands - Some 8,000 convicted criminals are evading prison, most are abroad
Oceania
Australia - More than a third of prisoners are locked up without a sentence. For decades, that number has been growing
Australian Institute of Criminology looks at intergenerational incarceration in NSW
News 24 February
Americas
U.S. prison population fell 10th straight year in 2021
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/feb/23/us-prison-population-fell-10th-straight-year-2021/
US -Lethal injection debate swirls around Texas executions
https://www.newagebd.net/article/195219/lethal-injection-debate-swirls-around-texas-executions
Asia
Number of people on remand in Hong Kong jails pending trial hits decade high, but figures for new prisoners and detained suspects drop
Europe
England and Wales - The mental health crisis in women’s prisons
Ireland - Legal obstacles impeding investigations into deaths in custody, says prison watchdog
Oceania
Australia - Watchdog says Qld youth laws will 'erode basic rights'
https://www.mandurahmail.com.au/story/8098649/watchdog-says-qld-youth-laws-will-erode-basic-rights/
News 23 February
Americas
Jamaica - Correctional services offers expanded skills training options for inmates
US - The Sentencing Project Launches Education Campaign on Mass Incarceration
US - Frail people are left to die in prison as judges fail to act on a law to free them
US - All former Washington prisoners can now vote. So far, few have
Asia
Malaysia - Bill related to abolition of mandatory death penalty to be tabled at parliament next month
Europe
England and Wales - Report criticises healthcare at HMP The Verne, Portland
https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/23339675.report-criticises-healthcare-hmp-verne-portland/
Lithuania: Prisons Need Modernising To Curb Violence
https://www.miragenews.com/lithuania-prisons-need-modernising-to-curb-953512/
Northern Ireland prisons paramilitary separation won't be easy to scrap, MPs told
News 22 February
Americas
US Plans to Allow Medicaid for Drug Treatment in Prisons
US (Colorado) - House passes bill to reduce prison sentences for inmates pursuing higher education
Asia
Asia-Pacific prisons deploy ‘dehumanising’ facial recognition
Myanmar prison guards injure more than 80 inmates when argument turns violent
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/prisoners-02212023160713.html
Europe
Belarus wants to implement death penalty for treason: law passes second reading
https://www.yahoo.com/news/belarus-wants-implement-death-penalty-130008454.html
England and Wales - Young black boys almost THREE times more likely to enter youth justice system https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/young-black-boys-almost-three-29277193
Scotland - 61% reduction in the trials backlog accrued during the COVID-19 Pandemic
News 17 – 21 February
Africa
Uganda - Embrace alternatives to custodial sentences to curb prison congestion
Americas
Latin America’s prisons are overcrowded and violent
https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2023/02/16/latin-americas-prisons-are-overcrowded-and-violent
El Salvador prisoner ‘rearrests’ fuel new concerns
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/2/17/el-salvador-prisoner-rearrests-fuel-new-concerns
US - As the Pandemic Swept America, Deaths in Prisons Rose Nearly 50 Percent
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/19/us/covid-prison-deaths.html
Sen. Cory Booker Wants To Reform Exploitative Prison Labor In The U.S.
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/cory-booker-prisons-reform_n_63ee5565e4b022eb3e353ffe
US - How ‘Cruel and Not Unusual’ Conditions Persist in Many Lockups
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/02/18/texas-arizona-alabama-rikers-prison-conditions
US (Florida) - After report outlines private prison problems, lawmakers demand fixes
Asia
India - Prisoners injured while working in jail entitled to compensation, says Delhi HC
India - Odisha to get the largest jail of India, to house 2500 inmates
https://kalingatv.com/state/odisha-to-get-the-largest-jail-of-india-to-house-2500-inmates/
Europe
England and Wales - Prisons should improve transparency in death investigations to improve prison safety, report finds
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-prisons-transparency-death-prison-safety.html
England and Wales - Nightingale Courts to remain open to boost capacity and speed up justice
England and Wales - Overcrowded prison to get more inmates
https://www.islingtontribune.co.uk/article/overcrowded-prison-to-get-more-inmates
England and Wales - New figures cast more doubt on super prison plans near Harborough, say campaigners
Ireland - End of ‘slopping out’ in Limerick Prison as compensation costs mount
Oceania
Australia’s credibility on human rights at risk as UN terminates visit to Australia
https://www.hrlc.org.au/news/2023/2/21/un-terminates-aus-visit
News 11 – 16 February
Africa
Egypt's model prison rife with abuses, inmates' families and activists say
HIV Treatment and Prevention in Zambian Prisons May be Model for Prisons Worldwide
Americas
3 Dead, 43 Injured In Brazil's Prison Fire
https://menafn.com/1105582882/3-Dead-43-Injured-In-Brazils-Prison-Fire
British Virgin Islands - Governor endorses ‘electronic tags’ for non-violent prisoners
https://bvinews.com/governor-endorses-electronic-tags-for-non-violent-prisoners/
Watchdogs, MPs slam Canada’s prison officials on treatment of Black, Indigenous inmates
Canada - Prison watchdog calls for more harm-reduction services to prevent drug overdoses and deaths
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-prison-watchdog-harm-reduction-overdose-crisis/
US - Long prison sentences are cruel and ineffective: here’s the proof
US - We’ve Been Asking the Same Question About Prison Tech Training for 50 Years
https://slate.com/technology/2023/02/prison-tech-training-programming-higher-education.html
US - Senate prison system inquiry reveals ‘national disgrace,’ Ossoff says
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/02/10/jon-ossoff-bop-prison-abuse-hearings/
US - What Are Some Common Problems With Rural Jails In America?
https://www.rebellionresearch.com/what-are-some-common-problems-with-rural-jails-in-america
US - Suicides persist in New York's prisons and jails
US (Arizona) - How a Giant Egg Farm Made Money Off Women Prisoners in Dangerous Conditions
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/a42710907/women-prisoners-at-hickmans-farms/
US - Alabama prison staff shortage worsens despite court order
https://www.wtok.com/2023/02/13/alabama-prison-staff-shortage-worsens-despite-court-order/
US - California and Nevada may ban slavery, forced prison labor
Asia
India - Odisha approves compensation for family of prisoners who die in jail
Malaysia - Govt mulls new temporary act for inmates undergoing mandatory death penalty
Saudi Arabia - Prisons chief inaugurates rehabilitation project at Riyadh women’s prison
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/629865
Europe
One-third of people in prison in Europe suffer from mental health disorders
England and Wales - HM Prison and Probation Service COVID-19 Statistics, January 2023
England and Wales - Nottinghamshire prison workshops meant to teach inmates new skills 'lying empty'
England and Wales - HMP Exeter: Shocking standards at prison slammed by inspectors
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/hmp-exeter-shocking-standards-prison-8152896
Ireland - At least 15 prisoners took their own lives over past decade
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41070293.html
Ireland - Women still sleeping on floors in Limerick Prison
https://www.limerickpost.ie/2023/02/10/women-still-sleeping-on-floors-in-limerick-prison/
Oceania
Australia - Justice Dept admits not knowing how long Banksia Hill detainees have been locked in cells
News 10 February
Africa
Helping to Improve Conditions for Detainees in Ethiopia
https://allafrica.com/stories/202302100332.html
Liberia: Justice Minister Dean Alarms Potential Food Shortage At Prison Facilities
Americas
Anguilla - Prisoners given opportunity to provide input on improving prison conditions
Canada - Justice minister says federal government giving bail reform 'serious consideration'
Canada - B.C. prison system failing incarcerated Indigenous people: auditor general
Asia
Malaysia - Prisons Dept calls for halfway houses to accommodate paroled female convicts
Malaysia - Give ex-convicts a chance, Prisons Dept urges employers
Europe
England and Wales - Chronic backlog of serious-crime cases hits courts
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64586483
'No value' to mandatory sentencing guidelines - Irish Penal Reform Trust
Trans prisoners in Scotland to be first sent to jails matching their birth gender
Three inmates dead in earthquake-hit Turkey prison riot
https://euroweeklynews.com/2023/02/09/three-inmates-dead-in-earthquake-hit-turkey-prison-riot/
News 9 February
Africa
Zambia Commutes Nearly 400 Death Sentences After Law Change
https://www.barrons.com/news/zambia-commutes-nearly-400-death-sentences-after-law-change-01675886708
Americas
Trinidad & Tobago - Criminal activity behind bars
https://www.guardian.co.tt/opinion/criminal-activity-behind-bars-6.2.1629494.e3307de207
US - Reconstructive Justice — Public Health Policy to End Mass Incarceration
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMms2208239?query=featured_home
US - Bill introduced to prohibit forced births in Arizona prisons
Asia
Singapore - Four in 10 former inmates released from prison in 2017 ended up behind bars again
Europe
England and Wales - MPs regret government rejecting review of IPP sentences
England and Wales - Why are we still sending children to prison?
https://www.thejusticegap.com/why-are-we-still-sending-children-to-prison/
England and Wales - Oxfordshire support scheme for prisoners' children set to expand
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-64579339
Ireland - Cork Prison now operating at 100% capacity
https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/arid-41067221.html
Oceania
Australia - Jails are filling up with drug offenders but the government could reap $1 billion
News 8 February
Americas
Bahamas - Prison parole programme to begin with Grand Bahama inmates
http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/feb/07/prison-parole-programme-begin-grand-bahama-inmates/?news
Ottawa still crafting Black Canadian justice strategy as advocates call for reform
https://globalnews.ca/news/9469806/ottawa-black-canadian-justice-strategy/
Jamaican government encouraging citizens to use restorative justice to settle disputes
US - Incentives for Those on Probation Can Improve Outcomes and Rein in Costs
US (Texas) - Men put in prison cages without bathrooms or beds, say reform groups
US - California will try to limit solitary confinement — again
US (California) - ‘Every day matters’: Newsom told 123 prisoners they could get out early. Why are a third still behind bars?
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-02-08/gavin-newsom-california-commutations
US - Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Arrests in California
https://www.ppic.org/publication/assessing-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-arrests-in-california/
Asia
India - Delhi HC seeks Centre’s response on plea against solitary confinement of jail inmates
India - 89 convicts availed educational remission by completing degrees, courses while serving sentences: Maharashtra Prisons Department
Europe
England and Wales - Most probation services are over capacity, leaked data reveals
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64344284
England and Wales - Ethnic minority defendants ‘more likely to be charged than white British people’
Northern Ireland - Council fails to deliver prison leaver employment project in district which receives millions in rates from two prisons
Oceania
Australia - Victorian courts plagued by delays as tens of thousands of criminal cases wait to be heard
News 7 February
Africa
Poor Kenyans likely to end up on death row: study
https://www.dw.com/en/poor-kenyans-likely-to-end-up-on-death-row-study/a-64600740
Americas
El Salvador’s Super Prison
https://theatlasnews.co/politics/2023/02/06/el-salvadors-super-prison/
US - After Decades in Prison, Should Adults Convicted as Teens Get A Second Chance? A Growing Number of State Laws Say Yes
https://theappeal.org/second-look-sentencing-reform-cordell-miller/
US (Delaware) - Judge Upholds Punitive Damage Award in Prison Strip Search
US (Vermont) - Vt. Senate bill would eliminate ‘life without parole’ prison sentence
https://www.wcax.com/2023/02/06/vt-senate-bill-would-eliminate-life-without-parole-prison-sentence/
Europe
England and Wales - Prisoners set to be held in police cells due to overcrowding
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-64545715
Ireland - Women's wing at Limerick Prison has 50 prisoners despite 28-bed capacity
Oceania
First prisoners moved into new prison in New Caledonia
News 4-6 February
Africa
Zimbabwe - Prisons Decongest Chikurubi Female Prison
https://www.zimeye.net/2023/02/05/prisons-decongest-chikurubi-female-prison/
Americas
Catholics press for prison reform in post-Bolsonaro Brazil
Jamaica - Alternative justice programme to be expanded
https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20230206/alternative-justice-programme-be-expanded
US - 9th Circuit upholds California prison reforms, citing abuse of inmates with disabilities
US - Vermont is shutting down some prison work programs
https://vtdigger.org/2023/02/03/vermont-is-shutting-down-some-prison-work-programs/
US - Calls grow for Louisiana to stop sending kids to adult prison
https://www.courthousenews.com/calls-grow-for-louisiana-to-stop-sending-kids-to-adult-prison/
Asia
India - 672,000 cases pending in district, subordinate courts for 20 yrs: Rijiju
India - 1236 sick, elderly prisoners set free in past 11 months in Uttar Pradesh
India - 'Jail restaurants' in Bihar catch the fancy of people to dine ‘behing bars’
Iran’s supreme leader pardons ‘tens of thousands’ of prisoners
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/2/5/iran-supreme-leader-pardons-tens-of-thousands-of-prisoners
Europe
'Own prisons, own penal code': Flemish Minister wants to split Belgium's justice system
Denmark - Record waiting time in court for victims seeking justice
https://cphpost.dk/2023-02-03/news/record-waiting-time-in-courts-for-victims-seeking-justice/
Ireland - Inquest jury recommends medical care review at Cork Prison
https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2023/0203/1353676-inquest-medical-care-cork-prison/
Jersey - Plans to be submitted for a prisoner-staffed coffee shop
Oceania
Australia - Queensland’s draconian approach to youth justice sets kids up to fail
News 3 February
Americas
US - Students learn alongside incarcerated classmates at Washington State Penitentiary
Asia
India - Consider Modifying Prisoners’ Bail Conditions if Bonds Not Furnished Within a Month: SC to Courts
Malaysia - Prisons Dept takes measure to reduce overcrowding and recidivism
UAE - Dubai jail inmates’ cookbook released at Emirates Airlines Literature Festival
Europe
England and Wales - Prisoners’ mental and physical health at ‘historically low levels’
https://www.thejusticegap.com/prisoners-mental-and-physical-health-at-historically-low-levels/
England and Wales - Prison with blood-stained cell and scratched walls is ‘worst ever seen’ by inspector
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/women-prison-eastwood-park-cells-b2274708.html
England and Wales - Prison challenged to meet young people’s complex needs at HMYOI Wetherby
Ireland - 'Grave concern' at prison overcrowding as inmates sleep on floors
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41063390.html
Irish prisons full at ‘watershed moment’ for penal policy
https://www.irishlegal.com/articles/irish-prisons-full-at-watershed-moment-for-penal-policy
Italian anarchist’s hunger strike rekindles debate over harsh prison regime
Oceania
Australia - ROGS: Indigenous overrepresentation in ACT justice system worsening
https://canberraweekly.com.au/rogs-indigenous-overrepresentation-in-act-justice-system-worsening/
News 2 February
Americas
US - DOJ report outlines steps to limit solitary confinement in prisons, as its use only increases under Biden
https://news.yahoo.com/doj-report-outlines-steps-limit-171229085.html
US - Massachusetts prisoners who donate organs may get less prison time
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64488678
US - Georgia Prison Crisis Worsens Amid Federal Investigations
https://theappeal.org/georgia-prisons-crisis-doj-federal-investigation/
US - Florida could end unanimous jury requirement for executions
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/florida-end-unanimous-jury-requirement-executions-96840774
Asia
India - SC issues guidelines to ensure prisoners are not held up despite getting bail
Europe
England and Wales - ‘Insufficient’ prison officer apprenticeships found at Sodexo
https://feweek.co.uk/insufficient-prison-officer-apprenticeships-found-at-sodexo/
England and Wales - 'Dirty' HMP Wymott prison where unvaccinated inmates wait 'three years for counselling'
https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/dirty-hmp-wymott-prison-unvaccinated-26118883
England and Wales - Man at South London prison died after 1 day behind bars as jail staff didn't know CPR
https://www.mylondon.news/news/east-london-news/man-south-london-prison-died-26139057
News 1 February
Africa
Kenya - Courts to review cases of mothers in jail with children
Kenya Prisons Service Wants Salaries Increased By 150pc
https://allafrica.com/stories/202302010252.html
Americas
Canada - 192 Ontario jail deaths call for urgent action on staffing and drug screening: landmark report
El Salvador president unveils mega-prison for gangsters
https://insiderpaper.com/el-salvador-president-unveils-mega-prison-for-gangsters/
US - Prison, jail staff rarely face legal consequences after sex abuse of inmates, report finds
Asia
India - Union Budget: Govt to support to poor prisoners unable to afford bail amounts
India - Maharashtra: State prisons to become manufacturing hubs; goods produced by inmates to be made available online
Europe
Ireland - Ministers 'committed' to diverting people with mental health issues away from prison
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41060879.html
Northern Ireland - Maghaberry Prison ‘Stitch in Time Gang’ crocheting hats for premature babies
Oceania
Unsentenced prisoners make up a third of Australia’s prison population as bail refusals boom
News 31 January
Africa
Kenya - Govt pushes for plea bargain to decongest prisons
Americas
US - Federal Bureau Of Prisons Set To End Home Confinement Under CARES Act
US - Hundreds of prison releases delayed after ADOC fails to notify victims
US - Bill that would restore right to vote for Minnesotans on probation, parole nears House vote
US (Hawaii) - Lawmakers Want More Information Made Public On Inmate Deaths In State Prisons And Jails
Asia
India - Delhi’s prisons have a plan for inmates: Stop court visits, move hearings online
Secretive Saudi executions leave families in the dark
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-64338876
Europe
Fiala Calls For Reduction In Czech Prison Population
https://brnodaily.com/2023/01/31/news/politics/fiala-calls-for-reduction-in-czech-prison-population/
England and Wales - Urgent action needed to curb rise in prison deaths linked to spice, say UK researchers
England and Wales - New drive to cut number of women prisoners
England and Wales - Dominic Raab’s changes to open prison conditions ‘making public less safe’, Parole Board chief says
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/dominic-raab-prisons-open-parole-b2272703.html
England and Wales - HMP Foston Hall: Plans for new open blocks at England's 'most violent' women's prison
https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/hmp-foston-hall-plans-new-8093919
Jersey - La Moye prison wings renamed in modernisation programme
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-64453747
Oceania
Australia - Number of Aboriginal Tasmanians in prison more than doubles in a decade
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-31/tasmanian-indigenous-incarceration-rising/101907924
News 28 – 30 January
Americas
Canada’s top court takes a tough stance on mandatory minimum sentences
Canada - Doubling of inmate deaths in Ontario prompts call for correctional oversight body
Leaked database reveals prison abuses under El Salvador’s state of emergency
Jamaica - Rehabilitation for incarcerated should be top priority
https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20230130/rehabilitation-incarcerated-should-be-top-priority
Asia
Bangladesh - Deaths of inmates in prisons must be investigated
https://www.newagebd.net/article/193043/deaths-of-inmates-in-prisons-must-be-investigated
India - Imperative To Ensure Proactive Legal Help In Prisons: Report
India - In 2022, 165 death penalties handed out by trial courts, highest since 2000
Death row inmates' lawyers call for discussion, less secrecy on executions in Japan
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230130/p2a/00m/0na/004000c
Europe
Scottish Prison Service halts movement of all transgender prisoners while rules are reviewed
Oceania
Australia - ‘Complete, unmitigated disaster’: inquest into Veronica Nelson’s death urges overhaul of ‘discriminatory’ Victorian bail laws
News 27 January
Africa
Ghana - Prison congestion to reduce with the passage of Sentencing Act — Godfred Dame
https://www.modernghana.com/news/1208384/prison-congestion-to-reduce-with-the-passage-of.html
Americas
Hundreds of children packed in El Salvador's overcrowded prisons -rights group
Guyana - Crime down, but Prison population up -Benn tells Budget debate
https://newssourcegy.com/crime/crime-down-but-prison-population-up-benn-tells-budget-debate/
US - Texas prison hunger strike over solitary confinement enters third week
US - Texas death row inmates sue state over ‘brutal’ solitary confinement conditions
US - New York’s Bill to Decriminalize Low-Level Drug Possession
https://filtermag.org/new-york-decriminalize-drugs/
Asia
India - IOC launches programme to train juvenile prison inmates
Europe
More than 200 people die in prison custody every year in England, Wales
News 26 January
Africa
Overcrowdings in Ghanaian Prisons impacting negatively – Prisons
Americas
US - DOJ says Louisiana prisons hold inmates beyond their release dates
US - Ombudsman proposed to ensure independent oversight of Md. Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services
US - Hawaii legislators want to expand program to keep mentally ill charged with minor crimes out of jail
Asia
Bangladesh - Dhaka calls for creating a victim-friendly criminal justice system
Jordan to build new JD 70 million prison in Azraq
https://en.royanews.tv/news/39507/2023-01-26
Malaysia - Help inmates with long jail terms file appeals, judge tells prisons dept
Europe
England and Wales - Update on changes to transgender prisoner policy framework
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/update-on-changes-to-transgender-prisoner-policy-framework
England and Wales - Crown court judges to address court backlogs through game-changing guidelines
England and Wales - Campaigners fume as government to decide on Lancashire's new 'super prison' on its own accord
https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/campaigners-fume-government-decide-lancashires-26067593
Gangland contracts worth £2.8m put on Scottish prisoners
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-64402666
Oceania
New Zealand - Maximum security prisoners kept in cells for three days, breaching human rights
News 25 January
Africa
Kenya - KNCHR revives calls to abolish death penalty
https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2023-01-24-knchr-revives-calls-to-abolish-death-penalty/
High Number Of Inmates Awaiting Trial Causing Congestion, Prison Breaks In Nigeria
Americas
Jamaica - Gov't, Opposition agree on longer prison time for murder
https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/govt-opposition-agree-on-longer-prison-time-for-murder/
Asia
Bangladesh - People in prisons have rights to health care: HC observes
https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/court/people-prisons-have-rights-health-care-hc-observes-573314
India - Kerala prisoners released for good conduct become productive part of system, shows data
Iran: Sixty Executions in One Month, 14 in 6 Days
https://www.ncr-iran.org/en/news/iran-protests/iran-sixty-executions-in-one-month-14-in-6-days/
Yemen: End the male guardianship restriction for releasing women from prisons
Europe
England and Wales - ‘Potentially risky’ people being released after years on remand, watchdog warns
England and Wales - Education of Children in Custody Failing to Improve Post Pandemic, Inspectors Find
Oceania
Australia - Parklea Prison Officers to Strike Over Safety Concerns
https://www.miragenews.com/parklea-prison-officers-to-strike-over-safety-934897/
Australians urged to ditch ‘tough on crime’ mindset for youth justice as it does not work
News 24 January
Americas
Guantanamo: Covid-19 cases rise to one-third of detainee population, report says
Report: Native Americans Significantly Overrepresented In US Prisons
Asia
Rock the jailhouse: Too many Indians are locked up under dozens of obsolete laws. Legal reform must precede prison reform
Philippines - Jail guards keep part of money sent to inmates, says BuCor chief
Thailand - 29 convicts to kick off monitoring initiative
Europe
England and Wales - Inspection at HMP Maidstone praises new governor but highlights 'barely fit for purpose' cells and lack of translators
Irish child justice system under UN spotlight in Geneva
https://www.irishlegal.com/articles/irish-child-justice-system-under-un-spotlight-in-geneva
Scotland - Court backlog reduced by 30% during 2022
Oceania
Australia - ‘Cruel and inhumane’: Coroner’s urgent demand on bail reform
News 21 – 23 January
Africa
Kenyan prisoners on death row weren’t deterred by the threat of the death penalty: new research findings
Nigeria - Prison Congestion: FG, others urged to activate Non-Custodial Special Fund
Americas
US - Death penalty paused in Arizona pending review into botched executions
US - Tennessee fires officials after damning death penalty report
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64347169
US - Survivors recount rampant abuse at Los Angeles’ juvenile jails: ‘Helpless, hopeless, lost and lonely’
Asia
Cambodia - Ministries work towards community service sentences to reduce prison overcrowding
India - PM Modi calls for prison reforms and repeal of obsolete laws
India - Tihar jail launches skill training for post-release rehab of inmates
Europe
Cyprus - Another 11 prison guards prosecuted for criminal offenses
England and Wales - HM Prison and Probation Service COVID-19 Statistics, December 2022
Jersey - ‘Different solution’ needed after child held in prison
Northern Ireland - More than 300 drug finds in north's prisons during lockdown
Project helping Welsh women in prison stay in contact with their children gets funding boost
News 20 January
Americas
Canada - Court-ordered community hours go towards healing in Indigenous-led justice efforts in Montreal
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/mohawk-cree-teepee-justice-healing-kahnawake-1.6717817
US - What the US’ Mass Incarceration Regime Costs Black Women
https://nonprofitquarterly.org/what-the-us-mass-incarceration-regime-costs-black-women/
Lawsuit Alleges Federal Death-Row Conditions Violate U.S. Constitution and Human Rights Treaties
Europe
England and Wales - Ex-criminals to be given jobs as West Midlands construction giant makes key pledge
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/ex-criminals-given-jobs-west-26009711
Ireland – Prison overcrowding: 50 inmates currently sleeping on the floor
https://www.newstalk.com/news/prison-overcrowding-50-inmates-currently-sleeping-on-the-floor-1426517
Rapists in Spain to wear GPS-enabled tracking bands, victims to be alerted if they are close-by
Oceania
Australia risks UN human rights blacklisting as states fail to meet prison obligations
Australia - ‘People before profits’: Victoria to ditch private health providers in women’s prisons
News 19 January
Africa
Ghana - Some youths are in prison because of GHC250 – Prison boss cries, begs for help to decongest
Americas
US - Using Zoom To Connect Returning Citizens To Resources And Community
US (Texas) - 'I'm not an animal:' Inmates endure a second week of hunger as they challenge prison living conditions
Europe
England and Wales - Why are our prisons still in lockdown?
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-are-our-prisons-still-in-lockdown/
England and Wales - Record number of neighbourhood criminals tagged to cut crime
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/record-number-of-neighbourhood-criminals-tagged-to-cut-crime
520 children under the age of 6 in prison with their mothers in Turkey: report
Oceania
‘People don’t want to spend money on law breakers’: staff shortages send New Zealand’s prisons to crisis point
News 18 January
Africa
Uganda - Sh19b needed to decongest prisons
https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/sh19b-needed-to-decongest-prisons-151833
Americas
US - Assaults reach record highs in New York prisons
https://romesentinel.com/stories/assaults-reach-record-highs-in-new-york-prisons,159686
US - Prison parole denied for 90% of Alabama inmates, a new low
Asia
Bangladesh - DGHS DG summoned for not recruiting prison doctors
https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/court/hc-summons-dghs-dg-not-recruiting-prison-doctors-569338
‘Prison after prison’: Debts trap foreigners in Vietnamese jails
Europe
England and Wales - Werrington youth prison has highest staff sickness rates in England
Greece - President decries delays in justice system
https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1202451/president-decries-delays-in-justice-system/
Oceania
Australia - Link between prison cell size and infectious disease transmission informs law change
Australia - Victoria misses deadline for UN’s anti-torture protocols as prison pressure mounts
News 17 January
Africa
Rwanda - RCS Starts Decongestion Of Muhanga Prison
https://www.ktpress.rw/2023/01/rcs-starts-congestion-of-muhanga-prison/
Europe
England and Wales - Prison system failing to support rising numbers of remand prisoners
England and Wales - Isle of Wight jail failing to prepare prisoners for release
Netherlands - Ultra-secure prison to get its own courtroom to reduce prison break opportunity
https://nltimes.nl/2023/01/17/ultra-secure-prison-get-its-courtroom-reduce-prison-break-opportunity
Oceania
Australia - Women in prison
https://lsj.com.au/articles/women-in-prison/
News 14-16 January
Africa
Nigeria - NCoS to fortify prisons’ security with N500m
https://punchng.com/ncos-to-fortify-prisons-security-with-n500m/
South Africa - Overcrowding in prisons continues to be a problem, says Popcru
Americas
Canada - ‘Why was he in a maximum-security prison?’ Advocates want answers on immigration detainee’s death in custody
Ecuadorian security forces regain control of El Inca prison after inmate’s death
US - More than 70 Texas prisoners are 3 days into a hunger strike protesting harsh solitary confinement practices
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/01/13/texas-prison-hunger-strike-solitary/
US - In Nevada Prisons, Use-Of-Force Overhaul Stalls
US - Incarcerated People in Washington Plead to Limit Use of Solitary Confinement
Asia
India - Mental health, hygiene facilities: Women's panel's suggestion to jail officials for female inmates
Europe
England and Wales - Prison could be expanded to take in more inmates
https://www.staffordshire-live.co.uk/news/local-news/prison-could-expanded-take-more-8024359
England and Wales - Prisoner dies at HMP Chelmsford as investigation launched
https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/prisoner-dies-hmp-chelmsford-investigation-8033709
Oceania
Australia - Victoria’s prisons a pressure cooker as staff recruitment falls short
Australia - NSW maximum security prisoners recycle 80 tonnes of waste, donate proceeds to charity
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-15/south-coast-prison-recycling-program-gives-back/101856602
News 13 January
Americas
Canada - Ottawa laying groundwork for Indigenous justice systems, says Lametti
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/lametti-caron-indigenous-justice-strategy-1.6712300
US - Working Out The Bugs On The Bureau Of Prisons First Step Act Calculator
US - Federal Cannabis Sentences Drop Substantially Since 2014
https://www.greenmarketreport.com/federal-cannabis-sentences-drop-substantially-since-2014/
Asia
Three Things India Can Do To Reduce Undertrial Prisoner Population
https://thewire.in/rights/india-undertrial-prisoners-solutions
Europe
England and Wales - Murderer sues prison service for nearly £1m in human rights test case claiming his cell is too cold
England and Wales - Road rage thug who beat up lorry driver walks free as judge warns 'prisons are full'
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/labour-slams-prison-cell-cuts-28941486
News 12 January
Americas
Sint Maarten - Prison strike: Inmates demand their human rights be respected
https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/prison-strike-inmates-demand-their-human-rights-be-respected
US - Garland Takes on Mandatory Minimums
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/garland-takes-mandatory-minimums
‘The nation’s executioners’: US supreme court slams door on death row petitions
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/12/us-supreme-court-death-row-executions
US - Federal Judge Orders Arizona Prison Overhaul Due To Unconstitutional Conditions
Asia
Thailand - Dredging project to combat future floods manned by prison inmates
Europe
Prison staff in Belgium go on 24-hour-long strike
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/prison-staff-in-belgium-go-on-24-hour-long-strike/2785026
England and Wales - Ofsted hit out at Peterborough prison after jail reduces range of courses on offer
England and Wales - Staff shortages result in ‘inhumane’ treatment of Dartmoor prisoners
Hungary - Circular Economy Plant Set Up in Szeged Prison
https://hungarytoday.hu/circular-economy-plant-set-up-in-szeged-prison/
Torture, inhuman treatment and conditions in Turkish prisons: 2022 in Review
https://stockholmcf.org/torture-inhuman-treatment-and-conditions-in-turkish-prisons-2022-in-review/
Oceania
Australia - Calls for overhaul as Victoria continues to outsource prison health care to private companies
News 11 January
Africa
Rwanda - Gov’t to save Rwf15b annually in prisons decongestion
Americas
Canada - Inmate reportedly died of heart attack after use of pepper spray, spit hood in Montreal jail
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/spring-inmate-documents-1.6708752
US - Native Americans are Incarcerated at the Highest Rate, New Report Reveals
Asia
India - Mental health of prison inmates to be evaluated
Malaysia - Govt reviewing substitute sentences for mandatory death penalty
Philippines president orders ‘decongestion’ of prisons
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/philippines-president-orders-decongestion-of-prisons/2784157
Europe
England and Wales - New bag scanners at prisons detect heroin in washing-up liquid, cannabis in curry
England and Wales - Winchester Prison has 'unacceptable' living conditions says new report
England and Wales - Sex offenders at Brixton Prison could be released without adequate efforts to halt offending
Reform urged for ‘disjointed’ bail and remand system in Northern Ireland
Oceania
Australia - Victorian prisoners denied parole due to lack of accommodation during housing crisis
Incarceration rate in French Polynesia remains higher than in mainland France
News 10 January
Americas
US - Federal inmates would pay more to victims under new Justice Dept. rule
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/01/09/prisoner-accounts-new-rules-victims/
US - ‘It’s not just a jail break’: Juvenile prison populations reach all-time lows
US - Texas prisoners launching hunger strike to protest state’s harsh solitary confinement practices
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/01/09/texas-prisons-hunger-strike-solitary/
Asia
Brutal torture of over a dozen prisoners inside Bahrain’s Jau Prison: Report
https://thecradle.co/Article/News/20182
Philippines - Marcos Jr. orders DOJ to continue releasing prisoners qualified for parole
Europe
England and Wales - New prison podcast shows what life is really like behind the walls of Woodhill jail in Milton Keynes
Ireland - Prisoners take part in Men’s Shed initiative to help prepare for life outside
News 7-9 January
Africa
The corruption problem in Mauritian prisons
https://allafrica.com/stories/202301090131.html
Zambia: Abolition of the death penalty ‘a historic milestone’
https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/01/1132212
Americas
US - More than 20,000 books banned in Florida prisons
https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2023/01/09/florida-prisons-book-ban-marshall-project
US - California Voice: Tracking COVID contractions, deaths in state’s jails more difficult than it should be
Asia
India - Now, all inmates of Delhi prisons to get hot water, prisoners above 65 to be given mattresses, Delhi LG instructs officials
Iranian judiciary orders investigation into rape in prisons
https://minutemirror.com.pk/iranian-judiciary-orders-investigation-into-rape-in-prisons-84449/
Malaysia - Resolve fate of 1,300 death row prisoners, govt urged
One prisoner killed, more than 60 wounded in Myanmar prison riot
Pakistan - 52 prisoners still in jails despite serving out sentences
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2394644/52-prisoners-still-in-jails-despite-serving-out-sentences
Philippines - 4,907 BuCor inmates to participate in voter registration
https://politics.com.ph/2023/01/09/4907-bucor-inmates-to-participate-in-voter-registration/
Europe
England and Wales - Government U-turns after 1,000 cell plan to tackle prison overcrowding was quietly cut in half
https://inews.co.uk/news/government-u-turn-1000-cell-prison-overcrowding-cut-2070328
England and Wales - Dartmoor Prison inmates locked up for 23 hours a day due to staff shortages
https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/dartmoor-prison-inmates-locked-up-7998905
England and Wales - Investigation launched after another inmate dies at HMP Forest Bank
Italy - Prisons, one in 3 prisoners have a job (but the figure could double)
Scots prison scandal as more than 40 inmates die in jail over last year
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scots-prison-scandal-more-40-28901580
News 6 January
Africa
Malawi: 7 Inmates Test Positive for Covid-19 At Maula Prison
https://allafrica.com/stories/202301060006.html
Americas
Conditions Improve for Opposition Prisoners in Nicaragua
https://ticotimes.net/2023/01/05/conditions-improve-foropposition-prisoners-in-nicaragua
US - Biden signs bill aiming to ease costs for prison calls
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/biden-signs-bill-aiming-to-ease-costs-for-prison-calls
Asia
Fifteen Iranian Women Launch Hunger Strike In Prison Over Conditions
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-women-launch-hunger-strike-prison-conditions/32211043.html
Europe
England and Wales - Dominic Raab accused of treating crime victims as ‘afterthought’ as justice system ‘crumbles’
Oceania
New Zealand - Jail population grows by 600, Corrections recruitment lags
News 5 January
Africa
Kenya - Prisons PS Calls for Release of Minors Held in Custody with Their Mothers
https://www.tuko.co.ke/politics/489290-prisons-ps-calls-for-release-of-minors/
Americas
Canada - Inquiry demanded into Montreal jail death after guards used pepper spray, spit hood
https://globalnews.ca/news/9387735/inquiry-montreal-jail-death/
In troubled Mexico prison, inmates ruled their cell blocks
https://drgnews.com/2023/01/04/in-troubled-mexico-prison-inmates-ruled-their-cell-blocks/
Europe
Northern Ireland - Belfast prisoner wins permission to challenge segregation and monitoring in NI jails
Inmates go on hunger strike to protest rights violations in prison in western Turkey
News 4 January 2023
Americas
Mexico prison break: Hunt for escapees turns deadly
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-64147790
Rising prices behind bars hammer imprisoned people in the US
US - More women are being detained as jail populations near pre-COVID levels
https://19thnews.org/2023/01/jail-population-pandemic-incarceration-rates-women/
US - Low staffing at prisons in Colorado leads to unsustainable working conditions
Asia
India - Visitors are indispensable for enforcement of fundamental rights of prisoners: Madras High Court issues directions on prison reform
Malaysia - Upgrades but no new prisons planned, says home minister Saifuddin
Myanmar to free 7000 prisoners on foundation day under amnesty
Europe
Guernsey Prison dealing with Covid outbreak
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx0l7q7995yo
Ireland - New palliative care centre to be built on Midlands Prison campus
Turkey - Justice Ministry issues new procedures to facilitate release of ill prisoners
News 22 December 2022 – 3 January 2023
Africa
Ghana - Pay attention to non-custodial sentencing to reduce overcrowding in prisons — Ambrose Nsarko to government
https://www.modernghana.com/news/1203966/pay-attention-to-non-custodial-sentencing-to-reduc.html
Liberia: Supreme Court Orders Release of Pre-trial Detainees due to Overcrowded Prisons
Zambia Becomes 25th Sub-Saharan African Nation to Abolish Death Penalty
Americas
Canada - Book club helps inmates at this Ontario women's prison connect and communicate
Mexico Prison Break Near US Border Leaves 17 Dead, Gang Leader on Run
US - Bill forcing feds to fix prison cameras is signed into law
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/joe-biden-ap-bill-washington-jon-ossoff-b2252126.html
US - ‘You’re a slave’: Inside Louisiana’s forced prison labor and a failed overhaul attempt
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/01/01/louisiana-prison-labor-ballot-slavery/
Europe
Belgium - 'Catastrophic' living conditions in Saint-Gilles Prison
https://www.brusselstimes.com/344990/catastrophic-living-conditions-in-saint-gilles-prison
England and Wales - ‘Overwhelmed’ justice system failing victims of crime, CPS chief warns
Italy prison suicides spike as post-COVID misery lingers
Northern Ireland - Community justice scheme hailed as alternative to short prison sentences
Scotland - Castle Huntly open prison underused, say inspectors
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-63877242
Inmates in a prison in central Turkey on 78th day of hunger strike: report
https://stockholmcf.org/inmates-in-a-prison-in-central-turkey-on-78th-day-of-hunger-strike-report/
News 21 December
Africa
Nigeria - Police, Magistrates begin training on prison decongestion
https://freedomonline.com.ng/police-magistrates-begin-training-on-prison-decongestion/
Americas
Starvation rations: Inmates are dying inside Haiti’s overcrowded prisons from lack of food
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article270206732.html
Paraguay jail break: Inmates escape through tunnel
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-64037003
U.S. Jail Population Increased While Prison Population Decreased in 2021
https://www.ojp.gov/news-release/us-jail-population-increased-while-prison-population-decreased-2021
US leads the world in long prison sentences: Study
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/us-leads-the-world-in-long-prison-sentences
US - Massachusetts agrees to reform prison conditions for mentally ill inmates
US - State rolling out digital tablets specifically designed for inmates across Texas prisons
US - Death at Mat-Su prison marks Alaska’s 18th person to die in custody this year
Asia
Another Prison Break in Lebanon … Over 100 Have Escaped Since August
https://themedialine.org/mideast-daily-news/26-prisoners-escape-lebanese-jail-8-rearrested-2/
547 detainees died in Syrian regime prisons in 2022
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221220-547-detainees-died-in-syrian-regime-prisons-in-2022/
Europe
England and Wales - Legal aid awareness training for prison staff
https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/legal-aid-awareness-training-for-prison-staff/5114633.article
Scotland - Job fears as HMP Greenock closure rated 'almost inevitable'
News 20 December
Africa
Gambia - ‘Human Rights Abuse Prevails In Prison’
https://www.voicegambia.com/2022/12/19/human-rights-abuse-prevails-in-prison/
Ghana - Minority demands upward adjustment of feeding grant for prison inmates
https://www.myjoyonline.com/minority-demands-upward-adjustment-of-feeding-grant-for-prison-inmates/
Americas
Antigua - Prisoners at His Majesty’s Prison riot due to improper treatment and conditions
US - Over 25,000 People in Prison Await Decisions on Their Clemency Applications
US - State auditor: Vermont prison system mishandled incarcerated people’s grievances
Asia
Kyrgyz Prison Officials Rebuff Calls For Examination Of Hunger-Striking Activists
https://www.rferl.org/a/kyrgyz-prison-officials-rebuff-calls-hunger-striking-activists/32183375.html
Philippines - DOJ seeks clemency for 2,000 prisoners to ease Bilibid congestion
Europe
England and Wales - Staffing issues sees HMP Norwich facing 'alarming violence'
https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/23202137.staffing-issues-sees-hmp-norwich-facing-alarming-violence/
England and Wales - Coroner calls for CPR training at Yorkshire prison after inmate death
Oceania
Australia - NT prison officers feel unsafe, depressed
https://www.hawkesburygazette.com.au/story/8026324/nt-prison-officers-feel-unsafe-depressed/?cs=12
News 17 – 19 December
Africa
Zimbabwe - Govt in the dock over mentally ill prisoners; some have served their sentences but remain in jail
Americas
Guatemala looks to start building maximum security prison in 2023
https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/guatemala-looks-to-start-building-maximum-security-prison-in-2023
US - Exhaustive 50-State Report Analyzes True Cost of Prison and Jail Phone Calls
US - When a prison is known as the 'rape club,' our justice system has a credibility problem
US (Washington) - Three WA watchdog prison reports remain unreleased to the public
https://crosscut.com/politics/2022/12/three-wa-watchdog-prison-reports-remain-unreleased-public
Asia
Women lack basics in crisis-hit Lebanon's crowded prisons
Europe
England and Wales - HM Prison and Probation Service COVID-19 Statistics, November 2022