3rd April 2020
The UK’s already overcrowded prisons face a rapidly escalating public health catastrophe from COVID-19. Transform have been calling for the managed release of non-violent drug and drug related offenders from prisons as part of the effort to reduce the strain on the prisons system and reduce risk of virus transmission. In March, the UK government announced a limited release of 70 prisoners — pregnant women and those in mother and baby units. This was followed by a further announcement in early April that up to 4,000 non-violent prisoners with 2 months or less of their sentences remaining would be released. However, as of 27 April 2020, only 33 prisoners had been released from prisons in England and Wales. In comparison, Northern Ireland has released nearly 10% of its prison population.
Over 80,000 individuals remain in the prison estate — a large proportion of whom are drug or drug-related offenders, and many of whom could be safely released. With up to a quarter of staff isolating, there are not the resources to manage a prison estate of this size safely. Prisons remain over capacity by about 5,000 people.
Other organisations and individuals that have called for the managed release of prisoners to ease strain on prison systems during the pandemic include: the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, The Head of the Prison Governors Association, The Howard League for Penal Reform, Prison Reform Trust, Penal Reform International, INQUEST and Women in Prison, and, in a joint letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to health; Harm Reduction International, the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA), the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), the International Network of People who use Drugs (INPUD), LBH Masyarakat, Release, and Rights Reporter Foundation.
Below we list a number of countries and jurisdictions, compiled with the assistance of Harm Reduction International that have already taken action implementing measures to release prisoners and help protect the safety of prisons. We will keep this updated as we call on the UK government to take further action (please send news/updates to info@transformdrugs.org)
| Country | Number of prisoners to be released | Date as of | Type of release | Including drug offenders? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan [1] | 22,399 | 27/03/2020 | Early release (10,000) Pardon (12,399) | Yes |
| Albania [1] | 600 | 24/03/2020 | Temporary release | Yes |
| Algeria [1][2] | 5,037 | 01/04/2020 | Pardons | No: drug crimes are excluded from the pardon |
| Argentina [1][2][3] | 1,000 | 28/04/2020 | Temporary release | Unclear |
| Australia (New South Wales) [1] [2] | 24/03/2020 | Legislative powers to release certain prisoners made available in NSW | Yes | |
| Azerbaijan [1] | 200 | 26/03/2020 | Early release | Unclear |
| Bahrain [1] | 1,486 | 17/03/2020 | 900 pardons, remainder of sentences converted to custodial release | Unclear |
| Brazil [1][2] | Estimated 30,000 | 01/04/2020 | Temporary release | Yes |
| Burkina Faso [1] | 1,207 | 03/04/2020 | Pardons | Unclear: ‘no one convicted of "acts of organised crime or terrorism" has been released’. |
| Cameroon [1] | 1,000 | 24/04/2020 | Unclear | Unclear |
| Canada [1] [2] [3] | 2,300+ in Ontario 79 in Nova Scotia | 09/04/2020 | Temporary release/ pre-trial detainees | Yes |
| Colombia [1] [2] [3] | 4,000 (10,850 eligible) | 30/03/2020 | Temporary release (house arrest) | Yes |
| Cote d’Ivoire [1] | 2,004 | 08/04/2020 | Early release (1000), Pardon (1,004) | Unclear |
| Cyprus [1] | 114 | 03/04/2020 | Early release (house arrest) | Yes |
| DR Congo [1] | 2,000 | 17/04/2020 | Pre-trial detainees/ temporary release | Unclear |
| England and Wales [1][2] | Up to 4,000 (only 33 released as of 27/04/2020) | 04/04/2020 (suspended 18/04/2020) | Early release | Yes |
| Ethiopia [1] [2] | 4,011 | 27/03/2020 | Pardons | Unclear (only ‘minor crimes’ covered) |
| Egypt | 4,001 | 27/04/2020 | Pardons/ Conditional release | Unclear |
| France [1][2] | 5,000-6,000 | 04/04/2020 | Early release | Unclear |
| India [1][2] | 14,000 | 29/03/2020 | Bail/parole | Yes |
| Indonesia [1] [2] | 50,000 | 02/04/2020 | Early release | Unclear: some 15,442 prisoners sentenced for drug use that have served five to 10 years in prison were speculated to be included. However, the director-general has said that ‘drug crimes’ are excluded. |
| Iran [1] | 85,000 | 20/03/2020 | Early release (pardons for 10,000) | Unclear |
| Ireland [1] | 300 | 02/04/2020 | Temporary release | Unclear |
| Israel [1] | 400 | 28/03/2020 | Temporary release | Yes |
| Italy [1][2] | 200 | 25/03/2020 | Early release | Yes |
| India [1] | 1,112 | 16/04/2020 | Temporary release | Yes |
| Germany (North-Rhine Westphalia) [1] | 1,000 | 25/03/2020 | Early release | Yes |
| Ghana [1] [2] | 808 | 27/03/2020 | Amnesty | First time offenders |
| Guyana [1] | Unclear | 07/04/2020 | Pardons/ early release | All female non-violent offenders including drug offenders have been pardoned |
| Jordan [1] | 1,500 | 17/03/2020 | Pre-trial detainees | Yes |
| Kenya [1] | 4,800 | 02/04/2020 | Early release | Yes |
| Lebanon [1] | 599 (may be up to 3,000) | 06/04/2020 | Pardon | Yes |
| Libya [1] | 466 | 29/03/2020 | Pre-trial detainees/ conditional release | Yes |
| Mali [1] | 1,200 | 20/04/2020 | Pardon | Unclear |
| Morocco [1][2] | 5,654 | 05/04/2020 | Pardon | Yes |
| Mozambique [1] | 5,032 | 08/04/2020 | Amnesty | Yes |
| Myanmar [1] [2] | 24,896 | 17/04/2020 | Annual amnesty | Yes |
| Niger [1] | 1,500 | 03/03/2020 | Early release | Unclear |
| Nigeria [1] [2] [3] | Unconfirmed: up to 50,000 (figure is based on 50,000 in pre-trial detention) | 28/03/2020 | Pre-trial detainees | Yes |
| Northern Ireland [1] | 200 | 31/03/2020 | Temporary release | Yes |
| Norway [1] | 194 | 04/05/2020 | Early release | Unclear |
| Philippines [1] | 9,731 | 02/05/2020 | Early release | Unclear |
| Poland [1] | 9,000-12,000 | 23/03/2020 | Emergency release subject to electronic monitoring | Yes |
| Saudi Arabia [1] | 250 | 26/03/2020 | Early release | No: foreign detainees serving non-violent immigration and residency offences |
| Senegal [1] | 1,846 | 28/03/2020 | Pardon | ‘Illicit trafficking’ excluded |
| Scotland [1] | 450 | 21/04/2020 | Early release | Yes |
| Sri Lanka [1] | 2,961 | 05/04/2020 | Early release | Unclear |
| Sudan [1] | 4,217 | 03/04/2020 | Early release | Yes |
| Thailand [1] | 8,000 | 14/04/2020 | Temporary release | Yes |
| Togo [1] | 1,048 | 02/04/2020 | Pardon | Unclear |
| Trinidad and Tobago [1] | 388 | 03/04/2020 | Early release | Yes |
| Tunisia [1] [2] [3] | 1,420 | 31/03/2020 | Amnesty | Unclear |
| Turkey [1] [2] [3] | 90,000- 100,000 | 31/03/2020 | Early release/ house arrest | Drug trafficking excluded |
| Uganda [1] [2] [Pending approval] | 2,000 | 07/04/2020 | Pardon | Yes |
| USA (Texas) [1] | 250 per day (ongoing) | 31/03/2020 | Pre-trial detainees | Yes |
| USA (California) [1] | 3,500 | 31/03/2020 | Early release | Yes |
| USA (New Jersey) [1] [2] | 1,000 | 25/03/2020 | Temporary release | Unclear |
| Zimbabwe [1] | 1,680 | 01/04/2020 | Pardon | Yes (includes non-violent offenders) |
Last updated 04/05/20
