Prison conditions have been criticized in many countries for decades. Definitely, prison conditions have notably improved in recent decades across the world. While prisoners were regularly caged and chained often in places like cellars and closets and there was a lack of treatment and other facilities earlier, they can now stay unchained in prisons and are treated in a better way and given treatment facilities — along with many other improved facilities — in many countries. But prison conditions are still not up to the mark in many developed, developing and less developing countries. According to several sources, prisons in over 124 countries exceed their maximum occupancy rate, making overcrowding the biggest problem of the prison systems in the world.
Millions of prisoners are incarcerated in overcrowded, violent and inhumane prisons in many countries. There are also problems of poor sanitary conditions and unhygienic living conditions in the prisons of many countries. Insufficient access to medical services, including mental health services, is a common problem in many prisons across the world. Among others, increased isolation from the outside world, ineffective complaint mechanisms and low rehabilitative opportunities are often noted problems in prisons. Solitary confinement, which is being increasingly used in prisons in many countries, is become a growing concern across the world. Definitely, the standards of prison conditions differ across countries. Improved prison conditions exist in many countries including Norway but most countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa have sub-standard prison conditions.
Definitely, standard prison conditions are always imperative. But there are resource based, prison management based and other causes that lead to sub-standard prison conditions in many countries. But an inadequate budget allocation, a lack of policy efforts and negligence of the government are important causes of sub-standard prison conditions. Chronic under funding for prisons results in poor prison conditions, which violate the rights of prisoners, in many countries. But under funding affects prison conditions mostly in less developed countries compared to developed countries. Among others, flaws in prison management and a lack of emphasis on non-custodial alternatives to detention and making alternative arrangements for vulnerable groups and ineffective prison management are important causes of sub-standard prison conditions.
Notably, sub-standard prison conditions — or prison conditions that do not maintain international prison standards — lead to many negative consequences. Overcrowding in prisons leads to violence, higher rates of death in custody and many other negative consequences for prisoners. Hundreds of prisoners are killed in violence each year across the world. Prison violence among the groups of inmates is more common in Latin American countries including El Salvador. There are other concerns with sub-standard prison conditions including the physical and mental health of prisoners in many countries. Long solitary confinement has considerable negative mental health impacts on prisoners. But, according to several sources, humane prison conditions reduce the prevalence of violence in prisons.
Definitely, there are global and national efforts to improve prison conditions. Among the global efforts, the Revised UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and the UN Convention against Torture are notable. They contain international standards of treatment of prisoners and detention conditions but are less implemented in many countries. Definitely, more facilities need to be given in prisons. The occupancy rate needs to be kept at a globally acceptable level. Prisoners need to get improved treatments. Violence in prison needs to be prevented. For this, prison management deserves to be improved. The standards of food are desired to be improved. Tortures and all sorts of abuses are expected to be ended and rehabilitative opportunities need to be increased.
Governments across the world also need to reduce the incarceration rate as much as possible. For this, the emphasis needs to be given to non-custodial alternatives to detention and corrective behaviors instead of imprisonment. They are important for minor crimes and the crimes of adolescents. Definitely, many minor criminals can be corrected without giving any imprisonment. In this respect, concerned authorities in many countries need to do more. The problem of long solitary confinement needs to be addressed. Governments across the world also need to address the underlying economic, social and other causes to reduce the crime rate and imprisonment.
