French prisons had 69,448 prisoners on January 1, a slight drop from the previous month, according to statistical data from the Ministry of Justice consulted on Wednesday January 26 by AFP.
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There were 69,992 detainees on December 1, 2021, a decrease of 544 people incarcerated over one month.
Over one year, there are 6,775 more detainees, representing a growth of 10.8% of the prison population, which for several months has been approaching the 70,000 people mark.
With 69,448 detainees for 60,749 operational places in French prisons, which suffer from chronic overcrowding, prison density now stands at 114.3% against 103.4% a year ago.
This density is 134.7% in remand centers, where prisoners awaiting trial and those sentenced to short sentences are imprisoned.
It even reached 210.8% at the Foix remand center and 208% in Bordeaux-Gradignan.
More than 18,000 prisoners awaiting trial
On January 1, five prison establishments had a prison density greater than or equal to 200% and 31 establishments at 150%.
Among the detainees, 18,660 (26.9%) are defendants, imprisoned awaiting trial.
In total, 83,267 people were placed in prison on January 1, including 13,819 non-detainees subject to placement under electronic surveillance (13,133) or placement outside (686).
The number of female prisoners (3.5% of the total prison population) and minors (0.8%) is stable.
The very symbolic bar of 70,000 detainees in France was crossed for the first time in April 2018, before exceeding 71,000 in November 2018 then 72,000 in March 2020, at the very start of the pandemic.
The number of detainees fell below the 70,000 mark in the spring of 2020 thanks to a drop in delinquency during confinement, the slowdown in judicial activity as well as early releases for the purposes of sentencing in order to avoid a health and security crisis in detention.
