ABSTRACT
When COVID-19 first emerged, over two-thirds of countries worldwide had prison systems operating above official capacity, following decades of unchecked growth in pre-trial and sentenced prisoner populations. The resulting overcrowded prison conditions presented a high risk of infection. The greater prevalence of underlying health conditions among prisoners, and the possibility of outbreaks spreading to local communities, presented further challenges for disease control. Prisons responded with a range of measures, including severe and prolonged restrictions on prisoners’ interactions with family members and external organisations’ staff involved in providing work, training or rehabilitation in prisons. These restrictions and the additional time spent locked in cells have negatively impacted prisoners’ mental and physical health and will be detrimental to long-term outcomes.
