 Over the past few weeks, the people of many countries have seen the impact of the coronavirus disease or COVID-19 on the social fabric. The word shutdown has perhaps never been experienced in such a literal way by many of us. The crisis of the global capitalist system has been truly revealed. In the midst of this crisis, a key question has been that of the inmates of prisons. Across the world, the carceral system is at major risk of coronavirus infections due to overcrowding, poor sanitary conditions and repression by authorities. In this episode of Around the World, Eight Minutes, we look at a situation in prisons across the globe as states turn a blind eye to the plight of the inmates. We first go to Colombia, where as many as 23 inmates were killed by the guards of the National Penitentiary and Prison Institute of Colombia at the La Modelo Prison in Bogota on Saturday, March 21. The prisoners had mobilized to demand that the government of Iván Duque take concrete steps to ensure the health and safety of the incarcerated population across Colombia amid the rising number of cases of COVID-19. Over 80 prisoners were injured. The repression in the prison continued after the incident too and when the family members of inmates and activists gathered outside the complex the next day, they too were intimidated and attacked by the guards. The prisoners had organized under the banner of the National Carceral Movement and released a statement on March 16 warning of the grave threat faced by prisoners due to the spread of the disease. They pointed to the collapse of the health care service in prisons, especially the lack of infrastructure in the areas of health and bureaucratic obstacles that impede access to timely and specialized treatment. Incidentally, President Duque had made a series of announcements including a suspension of all visits, restrictions on exit and entry of staff into the institutions and sanitary measures to ensure better hygiene. However, according to the MNC, the only measure that is implemented was the suspension of visits for common prisoners. Meanwhile, white collar prisoners continue to receive visits and the rest of the announcements were not implemented. In this context, the MNC called for the humanitarian release of different groups of prisoners, such as pregnant women, senior citizens, people with chronic illnesses and people accused of nonviolent crimes, so as to address the overcrowding problem and to protect the most vulnerable. However, when the prisoners mobilized for these demands, they were met with violence. In Colombia, as in many countries, the carceral crisis long precedes COVID-19. According to recent reports, on a national level the overcrowding rate is over 50% while in some prisons it is over 260%. Dignified sleeping quarters are not guaranteed to those who are deprived of their freedom and many are forced to sleep in unhealthy, unsanitary conditions on the floor in hallways and in extremely overcrowded cells. The lack of water is also a huge problem in many prisons. It is considering this global context that the World Health Organization is issued guidelines to prevent the spread of the disease in prisons. Globally, 11 million people are consigned within prisons and under the 20 million people directly or indirectly are connected with prisons. These include employees or relatives or prisoners, friends and lawyers. Prisons are overcrowded in as many as 121 countries. It is estimated that around 22.5% of the prison population in developed countries is over the age of 50. A significant number are also malnourished or with serious health issues, making them highly vulnerable to the COVID-19 infection. It is in this context that recommendations have been made that those accused of minor crimes and those belonging to vulnerable groups be released. However, in most places, authorities have remained unsympathetic until circumstances have forced their hand. For instance, the United States, home to the world's largest prison population, staggering 2.2 million, has seen huge concerns remain about the incarcerated, both in prisons and detention centers run by the notorious U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE. For instance, in the Rikers Island prison complex in New York, close to 50 people including 13 inmates tested positive for COVID-19, forcing authorities to announce that 300 inmates would be released. Similarly, inmates in the ICE facility at Essex in New Jersey went on a hunger strike last week demanding the release. Earlier, Texas-based Immigrant Advocacy Group, Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, had stated that several detention facilities of the ICE had virtually no precautionary measures in place. In many of these centers, only the ICE officials and workers had been given masks, gloves and sanitizers. There have been reports of arrests from inside hospitals as undocumented migrants and refugees seek medical help during the outbreak. Observers point out that ICE's actions would result in many migrants refusing to seek medical help fearing arrest, which puts a larger population at risk. Despite an ICE statement on March 18th that arrests would be halted unless necessary to maintain public safety and national security, the same has not been implemented in many parts of the country. Similar situations are being reported in other parts of the world too, especially where the imperial powers have for decades unleashed repression. In the occupied Palestinian territories, Israel, which has more than 1,600 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and is holding more than 5,000 Palestinians in detention, announced restrictions for lawyers barring them from visiting inmates. These measures provide Israeli jail authorities further immunity, as they have a history of torture and inhuman treatment of prisoners, including children and so-called administrative denies. Plus 972 magazine quoted Sahar Francis, the director of Adhameer, an organization supporting Palestinian prisoners as saying that due to these restrictions, we cannot hear the complaints about the state of health, mistreatment or torture. They also deny prisoners the basic right to legal counsel. Various organizations including the Public Committee against Torture in Israel have demanded the immediate release of minors and all those who are held illegally under administrative detention. Israel has however not responded to these demands. The issue of Palestinian detainees brings us to another key aspect, that of political prisoners. On Wednesday, Wigelig's founder Julian Assange, who is in prison for exposing the crimes of the United States, was denied bail by a British court. Assange's lawyers had moved for bail citing the possibility of a COVID-19 outbreak in Belmarsh prison, where he is being held and is vulnerable to infection. There has been a growing fear of mass infections in prisons in the country after the first case was reported in Manchester on March 19. Since then, another inmate has tested positive for COVID-19 at prison in Surrey. Public health experts have raised concerns about a massive outbreak and hundreds of avoidable deaths among prison inmates in the UK if preventive measures are not urgently taken. Estimates from a University College of London study have suggested that UK prisons could see up to 800 deaths, that's nearly 1% of British prisoners. Assange's lawyers, several journalists and the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and doctors around the world have raised concern over his deteriorating health in prison. He is reportedly held in virtual isolation and has been refused access to medical help and adequate legal counsel. Medical professionals from around the world have reportedly repeatedly written to the UK Interior Ministry seeking medical attention for Assange in a hospital. They have claimed that Assange has consistently exhibited signs of psychological torture for months. His lawyers have also previously requested his release over concerns regarding his health, but no avail. On Wednesday, it was yet again shown that there is perhaps no greater crime than to expose the misdeeds of imperialism. We will keep covering the stories of both those who fight against imperialism and capitalism and the struggle of the people of the world against COVID-19, for these are indeed intertwined. As the South African Shack Weller's movement, Abhalari Basey Bajandolo pointed out in a recent statement, disease is political. We will be back soon with another episode of Around the World in 8 Minutes. Until then, stay safe.