Comment
Second wave in prisons more deadly than the first
Since my last update in December, HMPPS have released another two weeks worth of data on infection levels in prisons in England and Wales.
Comment
Continued government failure to control COVID-19 in prisons
Last week the Ministry of Justice released figures for confirmed cases of COVID-19 in prisons and COVID-19 related deaths.
Comment
Counting the costs of extreme lockdown in prisons
“They’re going grey in the face and are constantly tired and worn out. They haven’t had any sunlight.”
News
25 days in April: Part 2 Strangeways podcast out now
Listen to the second part of our two-part podcast produced by National Prison Radio on the Strangeways protests and the past, present and future of prisons.
Part two examines the legacy of the Strangeways protests and the role of prisons and imprisonment since. Produced by National Prison Radio and with support from the Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust, the podcasts situate the protests within the wider context of the state of prisons in the...
Comment
Pressured times call for emergency measures in Scotland's prisons
The months of March and April felt like an eternity as the world was changed by COVID-19, and justice authorities grappled with how to deal with the issues in prisons.
News
Prisons and the COVID-19 crisis webinar
Last weekend, our Director Richard Garside participated in an online panel discussion on prisons during the current pandemic.
Chaired by John Rees, other panellists were criminologist and former prison monitor, Faith Spear and Steve Gillan, General Secretary of the Prison Officers' Association.
Watch the full session here.
News
Cases of coronavirus in prisons: England and Wales
Coronavirus cases continue to spread among prisoners and prisons in England and Wales.
Comment
Punishment is the pandemic
Over recent weeks there have been several calls for people in prison and detention centres to be released, largely framed as a ‘public health’ response and a way of keeping whole communities safe.
Comment
The relentless march of coronavirus across prisons
Following lockdowns and social distancing, some encouraging signs of the beginnings of a slowdown in the spread of COVID-19.
Comment
Tracking European jurisdictions’ preparedness, prevention and control of COVID-19 in prisons
Over the last few days we’ve finalised and sent out a survey to European partner organisations as part of our brand new project tracking official responses to COVID-19 in European prisons.
Comment
Coronavirus: Early release of prisoners
The announcement of early releases from prisons in England and Wales is a welcome sign that the seriousness of the COVID-19 infection risk is being acknowledged, though how far, and how thoroughly, is still open to question.
Comment
Coronavirus: empty the prisons, redevelop the land for the benefit of local communities
Today we heard the news of the first prisoner to die after testing positive for coronavirus. It was sadly not unexpected.