The RN deputy for the 3rd constituency of Gard, Pascale Bordes, will propose the reinstatement of minimum sentences, during the parliamentary niche of the RN group on October 31 in the Assembly. Encounter.
InfOccitanie: established in 2007 under the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy and his Minister of Justice, Rachida Dati, the minimum sentences were removed under the presidency of François Hollande and the Minister of Justice Christiane Taubira. How do you view this history?
Pascale Bordes: I consider that Ms. Taubira was the worst Minister of Justice in the last forty years. As a lawyer, I am absolutely in favor of these minimum sentences. Delinquents and criminals must be afraid of the sanction, the punishment must have a deterrent effect. They are no longer afraid. In their code, it’s an honor to go to prison. We’re allowed one mistake, not two.
You call for short prison sentences, how would they be a solution?
These are sentences of one week to fifteen days to see what the prison world is like and to deter reoffending. I’m talking about small, everyday crimes and specialized centers. If we don’t do anything, we’re going to have our heads against the wall. Short sentences are applied in certain countries such as Denmark where the “turnover” in prisons is higher than here.
In what cases would these minimum penalties apply?
In three hypotheses: for all repeat offenders, whatever the nature of the crime or offense. Second hypothesis: for all misdemeanor or criminal offenses linked to drug trafficking. France has become a narco-state, it’s a reality. When drug traffickers, from their cells, give orders to 14-year-olds via social networks like ordering a pizza, there is a problem. Finally, third hypothesis: all crimes and offenses which affect representatives of the police: gendarmes, police officers, etc., but also the community of caregivers and the public and private educational community which carry out public service missions .
What would be the execution modalities?
If a crime is punishable by 15 years of imprisonment, a minimum of 5 years of imprisonment must be served, for 20 years it is 7 years, for 30 years it is 10 years. For an offense punishable by 3 years of imprisonment, it is 18 months minimum, for 5 years of imprisonment, it is 3 years, 7 years of imprisonment, it is 4 years, and 10 years of imprisonment, 5 years. For life imprisonment, we would be at 15 years minimum. To remain within the principle of personalization of the sentence, the court can only impose a sentence lower than these thresholds by a specially reasoned decision, which takes into account exceptional circumstances.
Do you think operations such as Place Nette are useful?
It is not with a lot of press that we will resolve the situation. As long as the Ministries of Justice and the Interior look at each other like a dog, we will not move forward. We recruit our children. What’s next? The traffickers are going to have a casting call in kindergarten? We need extremely severe measures, commensurate with the destabilization of our State. The two ministries must work together or we will become like El Salvador.
Personally, I am for an individual cell. The prison places should have been built a long time ago. As for the money, we were able to find it during the Olympics! We have even been able to exempt ourselves from certain town planning texts to build structures… Furthermore, regarding detainees who do not have French nationality, having committed a crime or misdemeanor, it is high time that they return home. Finally, certain people come under psychiatry and not the judiciary.
The Prime Minister announced budget cuts in view of the abysmal public debt. Where can you find the funds to implement the measures you defend?
By making real savings. We can cut state spending by eliminating the statuses and benefits of former Presidents and ministers which cost us dearly. There are duplications within local authorities and infrastructures. Do we necessarily have to have two regional hotels in Occitanie? Social fraud is also a scourge. I am also in favor of AMU (Emergency medical aid, editor’s note).
For this bill to be passed, you must hope to have the right on your side but also part of the presidential majority. Are you hopeful?
The left will not vote for it in fact, out of dogmatism and sectarianism. The presidential majority is crumbling before our eyes with apocalyptic score-settling, I wouldn’t like to be there! The political landscape is being recomposed, I appeal to men and women of good will. Those who don’t vote for it will have to look in the mirror during the next crime!
