The prisons continue to fill up. The number of prisoners in France reached a record on March 1, with 76,766 people incarcerated, or 4,415 more than the previous year, according to figures published Friday by the Ministry of Justice.
This is the highest number of prisoners ever recorded, according to prison administration statistics, with a very sharp increase in people forced to sleep on a mattress on the ground due to lack of space. As of March 1, 3,099 inmates were sleeping on a mattress placed on the floor compared to 2,026 a year ago.
In one year, the prison population increased by 6.1%, while on March 1, French prisons had only 61,629 operational places. The overall prison density stands at 124.6% but in remand centers, where prisoners awaiting trial, and therefore presumed innocent, and those sentenced to short sentences are incarcerated, it reaches 148.7%. It reaches or even exceeds 200% in 12 establishments or districts.
“Deep concern”
Among those incarcerated, 20,220 are defendants, incarcerated while awaiting their trial. In total, 93,708 people were detained as of March 1. Among them, 16,942 non-detainees are placed under an electronic bracelet or placed outside.
Faced with this chronic prison overcrowding, the Council of Europe expressed its “deep concern” in mid-March. The French authorities have taken measures to try to remedy this prison overcrowding: banning prison sentences of less than one month, modifying sentences, home detention under electronic surveillance or developing community service for example. But these prove insufficient.
The Council of Europe notably invited the French authorities to “seriously and quickly examine the idea of introducing a binding national prison regulation mechanism”. The government is still counting on the construction of 15,000 new prison places by 2027.