France says will track down and arrest those trying to “destablise” it with prison attacks
Paris, France Reuters French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that those behind an unprecedented wave of attacks against French prisons would be tracked down and punished after violence flared for a third night. A car was set on fire in front of the home of a prison guard who works in Aix-Luynes, in southern […]
Italian prisoners pray for Pope Francis, a longstanding advocate for the incarcerated
Vatican City RNS As Pope Francis remains hospitalised at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, Italian prisoners are praying for his recovery, Catholic chaplains said, noting the Pope’s longtime focus on addressing the needs of incarcerated people. Rev Raffaele Grimaldi, inspector general of chaplains in Italian prisons, told a small group of Vatican reporters on Friday […]
Haiti prison break leaves 12 dead as inmates go hungry
Port-au-Prince, Haiti Reuters A prison break in the Haitian city of Saint-Marc left 12 inmates dead on Friday, Mayor Myriam Fievre said, the third such incident in Haiti in recent months amid a protracted humanitarian crisis fueled by gang violence. State Prosecutor Venson Francois said the situation on Friday afternoon was under control at the […]
Essay: Detaining migrants in prisons violates human rights and risks abuses
JESSICA EVANS and LINDA MUSSELL, in an article first published on The Conversation, look at Canada’s plan to allow federal prisons to be used to detain “high-risk” immigrants…
Essay: Many prisoners go years without touching a smartphone. It means they struggle to navigate life on the outside
In an article first published on The Conversation, YE IN (JANE) HWANG looks ay how digital exclusion affects prisoners as they re-enter society…
Ecuador’s President Noboa seeks approval for security measures in Sunday vote
Quito, Ecaudor Reuters Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa is seeking voter support on Sunday for a raft of security measures in a national referendum, as he battles spiking violence that has made international headlines and left a man dead even as voters went to the polls. Ecuador’s prisons agency said on Sunday afternoon that the director […]
Essay: During Second Chance Month, let’s take a second look at who remains in prison
CHERYL BURKE, associate conference minister for the Michigan Conference United Church of Christ, says Second Look legislation aims to create a process for courts to reevaluate lengthy prison sentences, particularly for individuals who were incarcerated at a young age…
Over 100 inmates die in DR Congo prisons since start of year, UN says
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo Reuters More than 100 inmates have died so far this year in Democratic Republic of Congo’s underfunded and chronically overcrowded prisons, a UN human rights official said on Wednesday. The main cause of the deaths was contagious diseases such as tuberculosis, which spread easily in crowded facilities and require unavailable […]
Thousands march in Colombia to protest government reforms
Bogota, Colombia Reuters Thousands of people marched through Colombia’s biggest cities on Wednesday to protest political, economic and social reforms backed by President Gustavo Petro, as well as to demand action against deteriorating security. Leftist Petro was elected in 2022 on ambitious promises to fight poverty and inequality, and end Colombia’s six decades of internal […]
Dozens of prisoners escape Ecuador jail amid continued military operations
Quito, Ecuador Reuters Forty-three prisoners remain at large after escaping a prison in northern Ecuador, the SNAI prisons agency said on Monday, as security forces continued operations throughout the country. President Daniel Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency last week, including a nighttime curfew, and designated 22 criminal groups as terrorists. Members of the […]