Prisons and other places of detention are at-risk environments for COVID-19 The systemic neglect of prisons and other places of detention in many countries has resulted in inadequate resources, management, oversight and accountability mechanisms, including ill-equipped personnel and limited linkages to the public health system. Prison overcrowding persists in a majority of countries worldwide and constitutes one of the most fundamental obstacles to providing safe and healthy custodial environments in line with fundamental human rights. Cramped accommodation areas, poor hygiene, ventilation and nutrition as well as insufficient health care services in many prison systems will equally undermine infection control measures and thus significantly increase the risk for infection, amplification and spread of COVID-19.
