What are today's prisons really like? How do prison conditions compare worldwide? The State of the Prisons -- 200 Years On breaks new ground in its exploration of prisons in various parts of the world. Many of the prisons described, such as those in South Africa, Poland, and Nicaragua, have never been subject to outside scrutiny before. In 1777, John Howard, the father of penal reform, wrote The State of the Prisons in England and Wales, with Preliminary Observations and an Account of some Foreign Prisons. This innovative and powerful book inspired a determined campaign to improve the conditions in Europe's jails -- a campaign which still continues. The State of the Prisons -- 200 Years On examines the present state of the prisons, two centuries after Howard's death. In the spirit of Howard himself, and to commemorate his achievements, the Howard League for Penal Reform has compiled this extraordinary document. The contributors to this volume represent a wide range of academics and practitioners within the criminal justice system, and their study is a highly readable and valuable resource which includes unique insights into previously undocumented prison regimes.