One hundred and one detainees have been tested positive for coronavirus in French prisons and among them, 33 are currently sick, we learned Thursday from the Directorate of Prison Administration (DAP).
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Only one detainee, a 74-year-old man who was incarcerated in Fresnes (Val-de-Marne), died on March 16. Thirty-three prisoners are currently ill but 67 have recovered. One hundred and three others, out of a total of about 62,000 inmates, are confined because of symptoms. As regards prison officers, 259 (out of a total of 42,000) have tested positive since the start of the crisis. One supervisor died as a result of Covid-19. While 267 officers are currently in their fortnight, 1941 others have left.
"In the context of a health crisis unprecedented in its nature and its effects and related to the number of agents or people detained, the number of symptomatic cases remains contained" , welcomed Stéphane Bredin, the director of administration prison with AFP. "Thanks to the prison staff, who have demonstrated their unfailing commitment, we have been able to preserve the continuity of the prison public service, " he added. The coronavirus has brought down prison overcrowding. By April 15, the number of detainees had dropped by about 10,000 in one month, with 62,650 prisoners.
This drop is partly the result of a slowdown in judicial activity. A circular, in mid-March, asked in particular to reserve pretrial detention to the most serious facts. In addition, an order issued under the state of health emergency facilitates the early release of detainees who are two months from the end of their sentence. Measures taken in favor of detainees after the suspension of visiting rooms in mid-March will be renewed in May, according to the DAP. A new credit of 40 euros for the telephone will be paid on May 1 and television remains free. For prisoners with the least resources, new aid of 40 euros has just been paid.