Almost no one in Egypt today remains untouched by the harsh reality of imprisonment. Politicians, journalists, activists of civil society organizations and social networking sites, youth singing in the street, graphic designers, caricaturists – they are all at risk of suddenly finding themselves detained in prisons that are inhumane, poorly equipped and in violation of Egyptian and international laws.

Almost no one in Egypt today remains untouched by the harsh reality of imprisonment. Politicians, journalists, activists of civil society organizations and social networking sites, youth singing in the street, graphic designers, caricaturists – they are all at risk of suddenly finding themselves detained in prisons that are inhumane, poorly equipped and in violation of Egyptian and international laws.

There are over 40,000 political prisoners in Egyptian detention centers, according to local and international human rights organizations, although this is denied by the Egyptian government.

Yet while we become preoccupied with counting those who have been detained pending further investigation, jailed pending trials, full-fledged prisoners and people who have disappeared – they are still very much alive. They need to eat, drink, breath and see their families. Somehow, life inside these grey prison walls continues and the grimness affects not only the prisoners but also their entire families, who are also subjected to cruel treatment and often find themselves victims of bribery by prison security staff.

Another aspect of this reduced existence is the expense of prison life. The laws regulating the Egyptian prisons provide for prisoners’ right to human life. But facts and testimonies of detainees reveal that prison food is inedible, prisoners are forced to purchase their needs from the prison’s canteen, cigarettes are a form of currency amongst prisoners – whether they smoke or not –and the price of anything inside prison is far higher than on the outside.

This dossier seeks to shed light on some dark details of life inside prison, starting with the trials endured by families when trying to visit, the cost of life in prison, how prisoners live under Egypt’s winter and scorching heat, and ending with the psychosocial impacts of life in long-term solitary confinement.

We have attempted to override the blocks of statistics that hide the details of people who are alive, despite being trapped in unlivable circumstances.