The people behind the numbers: Bringing the reality of Turkish prisons to light

September 12, 2026

Two Turkish journalists launched Prison Agenda (Gündem Hapishane), a Substack newsletter, in January 2026 to address the lack of accessible information about Turkey's prison system and prisoners' rights. The publication emerged after public debates surrounding the 11th Judicial Package revealed widespread confusion and misinformation about prison conditions and reforms. Rather than generating new reporting, the newsletter translates existing official statistics, parliamentary records, and international reports into accessible formats using infographics and data visualizations.

Who is affected

Hundreds of thousands of prisoners in Turkey (Turkey has Europe's largest prison population)
Young children living in prison with their mothers
Foreign nationals who cannot access justice mechanisms due to language barriers
Women prisoners unable to access educational and social activities due to staff shortages
Elderly and disabled prisoners struggling to access healthcare
Journalists, human rights advocates, academics, and civil society workers seeking reliable prison information
The two founders/journalists: Ahmet Kavruk and Tutku Sönmez

What action is being taken

Prison Agenda publishes three regular bulletins: The News Bulletin (summarizing key developments), the Data Bulletin (analyzing official statistics), and the Parliamentary Monitoring Bulletin (tracking prison-related legislative activities)
The team reviews official statistics, parliamentary commission minutes, Council of Europe reports, EuroPris data, and academic research monthly
They produce thematic articles focusing on vulnerable groups to mark important dates such as Pride Month, World Refugee Day, International Women's Day, and the Day of Solidarity with Victims of Torture
The publication translates complex, technical information into accessible formats using infographics and data visualizations

Why it matters

Turkey currently has the largest prison population in Europe, with numbers more than doubling over the last decade, yet prisons are only discussed during legislative debates and typically focus on high-profile cases while ignoring the vast majority of prisoners. Vulnerable groups—including children, foreign nationals, women, elderly, and disabled prisoners—often don't appear even in footnotes of official reports, despite being those who most need visibility from a human rights perspective. The project addresses a critical information gap, as evidenced by rapid subscriber growth to 435 in six months, demonstrating significant unmet demand for accessible, reliable information about prison conditions and prisoners' rights. Access to this information is fundamental to discussing human rights violations and solutions, as statistics alone don't change society—understanding the human stories behind the numbers does.

What's next

Prison Agenda plans to strengthen its Turkish-language publications
They intend to develop their English-language newsletter further to more effectively connect civil society initiatives in Turkey with international human rights networks

Read full article from source: Global Voices