Coronavirus: Belloubet aims to release 5,000 detainees

The Keeper of the Seals Nicole Belloubet announced Monday to the union organizations of the Ministry of Justice that she intended the release of 5,000 detainees, in order to relieve congestion in the prisons in the event of the spread of the coronavirus, AFP learned from union sources.

"Orders will be taken allowing the early release of prisoners at the end of their sentence. This will allow the release of around 5,000 prisoners, ”tweeted FO-Pénitentiaire, the majority union among prison staff.

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This estimate by the Minister was confirmed by other participants in the meeting which was held by telephone. Representatives of magistrates, clerks, supervisors and educators attended.

French prisons, which suffer from chronic overcrowding, have more than 70,000 prisoners for some 61,000 operational places.

Within the framework of the law on the state of health emergency, the Ministry of Justice presented simplification orders to the trade union organizations allowing these releases. According to sources familiar with the matter, the Ministry of Justice has targeted detainees whose remaining sentences are less than two months.

The adjustment of the sentence will not, however, be systematic. In particular, detainees imprisoned for acts of terrorism, domestic violence or targeted by criminal proceedings would be excluded, according to sources close to the file.

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The Ministry of Justice also wants to simplify forced releases, which currently allow certain prisoners who have served two thirds of a prison sentence of less than five years to complete the last third out of prison. The installation of electronic bracelets being suspended due to the coronavirus, this simplification would be done only in the form of conditional releases.

In recent days, the general controller of places of deprivation of liberty (CGLPL), the Defender of Rights, organizations and many magistrates and lawyers have called for the "massive" and "emergency" release of detainees in order to avoid a crisis health and safety in prison.

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Friday, Nicole Belloubet had opened the way for the early release of sick prisoners and others at the end of their sentence. The Minister also instructed not to carry out the short terms of imprisonment so as not to bring new people into prison.

According to a report Monday morning from the Ministry of Justice, a total of five detainees tested positive for Covid-19. Since Tuesday's announcement of the suspension of visiting rooms, around 30 penal establishments - out of 188 - have been affected by incidents, sometimes violent.