A new historic record: with 73,699 people incarcerated in French prisons, the number of detainees reached a new unprecedented peak on June 1 and for the fifth time in a few months.
72,809 prisoners on November 1, 2022, 72,836 a month later, 73,080 on April 1, 2023, 73,162 on May 1… Almost month after month, the records are linked without the government managing to stop this chronic prison overcrowding, which in January 2020 had earned France a scathing condemnation from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
With 73,699 detainees for 60,562 operational places, the overall prison density now stands at 121.7% in the country’s penal establishments, and climbs to 144.6% in remand centers, the most affected by this endemic overcrowding.
The occupancy rate even reaches or exceeds 200% in ten establishments, and is close to 300% in Majicavo (Mayotte).
This overcrowding forced 2,336 prisoners on June 1 to sleep on a mattress on the floor. They were 1,885 a year ago.
“It’s a disaster that was unfortunately announced,” reacted to AFP the controller of prisons Dominique Simonnot.
She had crushed in her annual report, made public on May 11, the “guilty inertia” of the state, accused of “(looking away)” in the face of “overflowing” prisons.
And again called, as the independent administrative authority she heads has done since 2017, for the establishment of a prison regulation mechanism enshrined in law, which would make it possible to examine the possibilities of a prisoner’s release. at the end of the sentence before bringing in other prisoners.
The Estates General of Justice had also pleaded for a mechanism setting for each establishment a threshold of “major overcrowding”, beyond which measures to “regulate” the prison population could be “considered”.
A proposal that was not retained in the Justice bill currently being considered in Parliament.
Two deputies have, however, tabled amendments to introduce a prison regulation mechanism during the passage of the bill before the Law Commission of the National Assembly. If one was withdrawn and the other rejected, the fact that “the discussion took place” is “perhaps a bearer of hope, finally”, believes Dominique Simonnot.
This mechanism “does not make sense”, had swept the Keeper of the Seals Eric Dupond-Moretti before the presentation of his bill to the Council of Ministers in early May.
A month later, questioned by lawyers during the general assembly of the National Bar Council (CNB) on this subject, he had highlighted his “political” responsibility.
“There are 73,000 detainees and 60,000 places. If you want there to be no more prison overcrowding there right away, I have to release 13,000 detainees,” he said.
“If I do that, I am giving the far right an unexpected gift”, because “French society is not ready for 13,000 people to be released”, declared the minister, preferring to recall the construction plan 15,000 prison places by 2027.
Eric Dupond-Moretti also emphasizes the effects to be expected from the extension of compulsory release, a mechanism which since January 1 has allowed the early release of prisoners sentenced to less than two years’ imprisonment. and who has less than three months left to serve.
06/30/2023 19:47:03 – Paris (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
