Blog

Featured Blog

The invisible of the invisible: foreign nationals in prison and probation during COVID-19

The number and proportion of foreign nationals in prison and serving probation varies greatly between regions and countries. In the second blog of our series examining trends identified in Global Prison Trends 2021, Petra Pavlas considers the particular impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on foreign nationals in prison and probation as well as its impact on those released from prison during this time in Europe, where foreign nationals make up almost a quarter of national prison populations.

Petra Pavlas6th September 2021

Towards digitalisation of prisons: Finland’s Smart Prison Project

The past year has seen rapid advances in the use of technological solutions in prisons globally. In the first of our new blog series expanding on trends identified in Global Prison Trends 2021, Pia Puolakka, Project Manager of Finland’s Smart Prison Project, details the process and benefits of digitalisation of prisons and in-cell technology, and […]

Pia Puolakka6th July 2021

Prisons and food: From in-cell eating and meal-lines to collective and domestic kitchens

People in prison lose autonomy and agency over many aspects of their lives, usually including food production and consumption. In this blog, Sabrina Puddu examines the different approaches taken to food in prisons, looking at trends from eating alone in cells, to dining halls, and collective and domestic style kitchens. Collective kitchens are witnessing a […]

Sabrina Puddu2nd June 2021

Women deprived of liberty and excessive use of pre-trial detention in Peru

In this blog, Jérôme Mangelinckx considers the drivers and implications of the growing female prison population in Peru, examining the overuse of detention for those awaiting trial, and how to move towards greater use of non-custodial alternatives to detention.  2020 marked the tenth anniversary of the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners […]

Jérôme Mangelinckx26th April 2021

Healing-centered justice: ending extreme sentencing of women

In the fourth blog of our series marking the tenth anniversary of the UN Bangkok Rules, Laura Ann Douglas examines extreme sentencing of women - what is driving the increase, what impact it has on the women serving these sentences, and how the Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide and its partners are working with women who have served extreme sentences to advocate for healing-centered justice.

Laura Ann Douglas31st March 2021

Five takeaways from the UN Crime Congress 2021

In this blog, Olivia Rope, Executive Director for Penal Reform International and Vice-Chair of the Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice gives her top five takeaways from the Kyoto Declaration which was adopted as the outcome of the 14th UN Crime Congress.

Olivia Rope30th March 2021

Covid-19 in prisons: why prioritising staff and prison populations for vaccination matters

Distribution of Covid-19 vaccines should be guided by evidence and based on the principle of harm reduction. In this blog, experts from the University of Oxford consider why prison populations and staff should be prioritised in national vaccination programmes, what is happening so far and the challenges to their inclusion in some places. Prisons have […]

Gabrielle Beaudry, Daniel Whiting and Seena Fazel18th February 2021

Period poverty in prisons: ensuring menstrual hygiene and dignity in India

In this expert blog, Anju Anna John considers menstrual hygiene provision for women in prison and interventions to assess needs, raise awareness of women’s entitlements and best practices, and improve access to sanitary products in places of detention. This is the third blog in PRI’s latest series marking ten years of the UN Bangkok Rules. […]

Anju Anna John16th February 2021