- Various international standards contain requirements for the treatment of people in prison and for detention conditions. These include the Revised UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules) and the UN Convention against Torture. The UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (‘the Bangkok Rules’) which supplement the Nelson Mandela Rules. The Bangkok Rules include provisions for the treatment of women in prison which meet their specific needs.
- Prison overcrowding is one of the key contributing factors to poor prison conditions around the world. It is arguably the biggest single problem facing prison systems; its consequences can be life-threatening at worst and at best prevent prisons from fulfilling their proper function.
- Prison systems in 121 countries and territories are operating above their official capacity, including 13 with levels higher than 250%. In 2020, many prison systems announced unprecedented mass releases of people in prison to reduce overcrowding and the risk of the transmission of COVID-19 in places of detention.
- The overuse of solitary confinement in prisons around the world is becoming an increasing concern. Some form of short-term isolation from the rest of the prison population is used almost everywhere as punishment for breaches of prison discipline. However, many states increasingly use solitary confinement routinely and for longer periods of time. There are major concerns for the physical and mental health of persons subjected to the practice.
- Efforts to address the spread of COVID-19 has led to the implementation of measures that have effectively enforced a regime of prolonged solitary confinement, causing psychological distress.
- States have an obligation to protect the lives and well-being of people in custody. States also have an obligation – in line with the prohibition on ill-treatment and the right to health – to ensure hygiene and adequate healthcare in prisons. Poor sanitary conditions, inadequate lighting and ventilation, extremes of temperature, insect and rodent infestation and insufficient or non-existent personal hygiene supplies all have a negative impact on the health of persons detained.
- Rates of infectious disease, notably HIV/AIDS and TB, are much higher in prisons than in the rest of the population in most countries.