prisons

Extreme Heat Intensifies Europe’s Prison Crisis

As record breaking heatwaves continue to sweep across Europe, prisons in France, Italy and Belgium are facing mounting pressure from overcrowding, ageing infrastructure and inadequate cooling systems, exposing what prison officials, inmates and rights groups describe as a growing humanitarian challenge.

With temperatures exceeding 37 degrees Celsius in many areas this summer, inmates and prison staff say prolonged heat has turned already overcrowded facilities into dangerous living conditions, prompting renewed calls for prison reforms and infrastructure upgrades.

Reuters spoke to more than 40 inmates, prison officials, doctors, lawyers, union representatives and activists across the three countries, many of whom said this summer’s extreme temperatures have highlighted longstanding structural weaknesses within Europe’s prison systems.

French Inmates Describe Dangerous Living Conditions

At Orleans Saran prison in central France, 29 year old inmate Manu said surviving the heat required constant improvisation. He placed wet towels over his barred window to cool his cell and spent most of the day lying still to conserve energy.

“You have to deal with it mentally,” he said.

France’s Chief Prison Inspector Dominique Simonnot said her office received an unprecedented number of complaints during the June heatwave, forcing it to recruit additional staff to handle the surge.

She described conditions in many prisons as unbearable, noting that three or four inmates are often confined inside nine square metre cells in ageing buildings without air conditioning.

One inmate at Limoges prison reportedly lost consciousness during the heat and suffered a head injury. While his lawyer attributed the incident to heat exhaustion, prison union representatives said he slipped while trying to reach a window for fresh air. Reuters could not independently verify either account.

French authorities said prisons increased access to drinking water, showers, sun cream and allowed inmates to purchase electric fans where possible.

Justice Ministry spokesperson Sacha Straub Kahn acknowledged that overcrowding remains a major obstacle to protecting prisoners during extreme weather.

Overcrowding Reaches Critical Levels

Government and prison monitoring data show prison occupancy has reached alarming levels across several European countries.

France recorded an average prison occupancy rate of 141.3 percent in July.

Italy’s prisons were operating at approximately 139.7 percent capacity, according to prison rights organisation Antigone.

Belgium reported an occupancy rate of 121 percent in August.

Experts warn that overcrowding significantly increases heat exposure by placing multiple inmates into small, poorly ventilated cells originally designed for far fewer people.

Italy Introduces Emergency Measures

Italian prison rights organisations staged coordinated visits to 34 prisons in July to highlight deteriorating conditions during the heatwave.

Antigone President Patrizio Gonnella criticised the lack of basic cooling facilities, arguing that inmates spending up to twenty hours each day inside their cells face increasingly unsafe conditions.

Italy’s Justice Ministry allocated 800,000 euros for prisons to purchase fans and refrigerators and pledged to create an additional 10,000 prison places before the end of the year.

However, official data show no new prison spaces have yet been completed.

Separately, Italy passed legislation allowing thousands of prisoners with drug or alcohol addiction to serve sentences under supervised rehabilitation programmes at home, aiming to reduce overcrowding.

Authorities also agreed to remove perspex window barriers from prisons in Cosenza after concerns that they restricted ventilation.

Belgian Prisons Report Rising Violence

Belgian prison officials say prolonged heat has increased tensions among inmates and staff.

At Ghent prison, Director Pieter Van Caeneghem said the facility currently houses 447 inmates despite having space for only 260.

He warned that every challenge associated with overcrowding becomes significantly worse during extreme heat.

At Merksplas prison, Director Serge Rooman said officials began relaxing certain security procedures several years ago by keeping windows open overnight and opening prison doors to improve airflow during heatwaves.

Those temporary measures have since become part of official prison guidance.

Rooman argued that the greatest problem remains outdated prison infrastructure, including poor ventilation and single glazed windows.

Governments Expand Heatwave Response

Authorities across Europe have introduced temporary measures to reduce health risks inside prisons.

France has expanded access to drinking water, showers and sun protection.

Belgium instructed prison directors to continue heat response measures into September, including increased water supplies and more frequent shower access.

Italy has focused on purchasing cooling equipment while pursuing legislative reforms aimed at easing prison overcrowding.

Despite these measures, prison officials and rights groups argue that temporary responses cannot resolve deeper structural problems affecting Europe’s correctional systems.

Europe’s prison systems are becoming another visible casualty of climate change, where rising temperatures are exposing decades of underinvestment in public infrastructure. Heatwaves have not created the prison crisis but have amplified existing problems such as overcrowding, ageing facilities and inadequate ventilation. While governments have responded with temporary measures including fans, additional showers and water supplies, these interventions do little to address the structural deficiencies that leave thousands of inmates vulnerable during periods of extreme heat. As climate driven weather events become more frequent, European governments may face growing legal, humanitarian and political pressure to modernise prison infrastructure while tackling chronic overcrowding that continues to undermine both inmate welfare and prison security.

With information from Reuters.

Coronation Street fans have wondered why Gail Platt has not been mentioned whilst her daughter Sarah has been charged with murder and issued a plea for her to return

Coronation Street fans have wondered if Gail Platt could be about to make a comeback to the ITV soap. The legendary character was played by Helen Worth for 50 years and, during that time, she was known for several ill-fated marriages and raising her children Nick, Sarah (Tina O’Brien) and David.

The former GP receptionist and café waitress, who was also known for her long-running feud with fellow legend Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver) finally found the one in Jesse Chadwick and they departed for a quiet life in the France after tying the knot on Christmas Day 2024.

There has been no shortage of drama for the remaining members of the Platt family since her departure and, most recently, Gail’s middle child Sarah has been charged with the murder of Theo Silverton, after hitting the abusive scaffolder over the head with a pipe.

On Wednesday’s episode of the world’s longest-running TV soap, Maria Connor was once again trying to get details out of her husband Gary Windass (Mikey North) about that fateful night, aware that he had something to do with it. Viewers will remember that Sarah roped Gary into the whole thing because she felt unable to alert her current partner, DC Kit Green, because of what it might mean for his career.

He said: “She needed an alibi, so I sent a text from Theo’s phone. Does it really matter now, babe? And then I got rid of the murder weapon.” At this point, Maria well and truly lost it and exclaimed: “She has made you an accessory to murder! You came to her rescue? Well it didn’t work, did it? She’s been arrested!”

Whilst enjoying dinner at the bistro with his family, Gary was spotted by his nemesis Kit, who is determined to do whatever it can to get Sarah off the hook – even though he knows that she is guilty. Storming out of the restaurant, Kit raged at Gary: “She’s in a cell while you’re playing happy families. Fact is, you’re free. You don’t have to do a long prison stretch. You get to see your kid grow up. What is it with you? Did you just feel flattered?” Just as Kit began to issue a threat, Maria waltzed out of the bistro herself and Kit warned him: “One day, your luck is gonna run out.”

But one thing that was bothering fans throughout it all is that Sarah’s mother seems yet to be informed of her latest ordeal. Viewers flooded social media wondering why Gail, who last appeared via a video call last Christmas, doesn’t seem to have been contacted. One fan said: “Has anyone told Gail about Sarah? Trying to imagine next time she phones, if David answers. “Oh hi, Gail. Everything ok here. Oh yeah, Sarah’s in prison for murder, but y’know…”

One fan wrote on Reddit: “Now that Sarah has been charged with murder , I can’t help but wonder why no one has mentioned Gail? It’s one thing not informing her of run-of-the-mill dramas but she deserves to know that her daughter is about to go to prison

“This is where things fall down, once someone leaves that single backstreet, they are never spoken of again. Even if Helen Worth did a quick return via a video call, or, at the very least, Sarah or David was seen on the phone to her. It just kind of makes no sense otherwise. Maybe she’d just say “Not my problem now, au revoir!” and hang up.”

In response, another said: “I assume that what we see are only snippets of their life on the show and the characters we don’t see are living their lives between dramatic plot lines in the background. Therefore, I assume that Sarah talks to Gail, Kevin talks to Rosie and Sophie, Rita talks to Jenny, etc, we just don’t see it or hear about it.” Fans were also quick to issue a demand for an appearance from Sarah’s grandmother Audrey, who has not been on screen since November last year but has not been written out. Taking to X, one fan said: “Has Gail or Audrey been informed about Sarah? Hopefully there’s a mention of them soon.”

Another said: “Surely now Sarah’s incarnated (sic) warrants either a visit from Gail or brings Audrey home. The family need them.” Prior to joining the soap in July 1974, Helen had acted in Z-Cars, and appeared in the movie musical Oliver! before making an appearance in Doctor Who.

Helen’s only other role after joining Coronation Street came in 1981 when she voiced the part of cat Molly Silknose in Peter-No-Tail, and she appeared as Gail in a charity crossover with EastEnders for Children in Need in 2010.

Gail had been married six times, with one of her husbands being tragically stabbed to death and another was a serial killer. Other storylines include Sarah’s teenage pregnancy, and the death of her fourth husband Joe McIntyre, who died during a failed life insurance scheme.

Opening up on her time on the show and reason for leaving, Helen made a rare public appearance at the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester earlier this year. She said: “It was only a bit towards the end when I got a bit tired. But the first, how many years? 49 years, were a dream.”

“My final husband, John Thomson, was absolutely gorgeous to me, because by then I was rattling a bit. It was around about 4,000 episodes and I was rattling a little bit. I had good and bad days… but then you forget the bad days and you just remember the good days.”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X.

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The prisons minister has resigned from the government, the BBC has been told.

Lord James Timpson was appointed to the role in July 2024 after leaving his job as CEO of the Timpson group, a business which provides key cutting and shoe repair services and employs hundreds of former prisoners.

His arrival in government was greeted with much fanfare by some in the Labour Party and described as “radical” and “innovative”.

But in a departing statement on Monday, seen exclusively by the BBC, Lord Timpson said he was stepping down and it was an “honour” to serve in the post.

His statement did not give a specific reason for resigning, but it is understood he feels he has done as much as he can in the role.

Prisons in England and Wales were at crisis point, reaching almost full capacity, when he first entered Sir Keir Starmer’s government.

He oversaw the controversial early release scheme which saw tens of thousands of inmates let out to create more space in jails.

His critics will argue prisons continue to be violent, drug infused and overcrowded, while probation officers still report being overworked and unable to cope.

But figures do show assaults against staff and self-harm in prisons are falling.

Lord Timpson said in his resignation statement that he had left “our prisons and probation service in a much healthier and happier state than two years ago”.

He added: “I’m proud to have become the longest-serving minister in this role for 15 years. I’m also proud that 75% of prisons and 90% of probation teams are now performing better than when I started.

“Self-harm, violence and assaults on staff are all down, and fewer people are leaving prison without a home to go to, a measure of dignity I care about deeply.”

He also pointed to the Women’s Justice Board he established, saying he “believe[s] most women should not be in prison at all” and “diverting them away from custody, helping them with often chaotic, damaged, and addicted lives, is one of the changes I’m proud to have achieved”.

His critics may question why he is leaving before the Sentencing Act 2026 is enacted in September, when more people are expected to be released early and further criminals will serve their sentences in the community.

A source in the Ministry of Justice told the BBC: “We’re gutted he’s going but the new person is going to have their work cut out to get their head round what’s round the corner.”

Gray Atkins has made a return to EastEnders as Toby-Alexander Smith reprises his iconic villainous role. He was last seen in the Square back in 2022

Gray Atkins has made a return to EastEnders as Toby-Alexander Smith reprises his iconic villainous role.

The villain was last seen in Albert Square in 2022 when he was sent to prison for murdering Chantelle Atkins, Kush Kazemi and Tina Carter. The serial killer has not been seen since, with Toby-Alexander Smith now reprising his role for a short stint.

Speaking about his return, he said: “It’s been very surreal returning to EastEnders and stepping back into Gray’s shoes.

“He’s one of the most complex characters I’ve had the opportunity to play and revisiting him after several years has been an exciting challenge to get my teeth into. Exploring who Gray is now has been, fascinating, and I’m excited for the audience to see this version of him and watch the storyline play out.”

Gray is currently serving a life sentence in prison but needs the help of his grandmother Sheila (Sheila Ruskins) to get close to ex-wife Chelsea Fox after Jordan’s harrowing accident.

With motives still unclear, there’s trouble ahead but what does Gray want?