Prison overcrowding: 76,258 inmates on February 1, new record. French prisons had 61,737 operational places and the overall prison density stood at 123.5%.
In remand centers, where detainees awaiting trial, and therefore presumed innocent, and those sentenced to short sentences are incarcerated, the occupancy rate is 147.7%. It reaches or even exceeds 200% in 16 establishments or neighborhoods. Faced with chronic prison overcrowding, the government is counting on the construction of 15,000 new prison places by 2027.