The objective of building 15,000 additional prison places by 2027 will not be reachedannounced Sunday the Minister of Justice Didier Migaud. “There are projects that are completely blocked”conceded the Minister of Justice, guest of France InterFrance Télévision and du Monde, “we are late“.
Emmanuel Macron's campaign promise in 2017this plan provided for the construction of 15,000 new prison places in order to limit prison overcrowding, which has been chronic in France for years. But this plan knows a serious delay with only 4,500 new places deliveredaccording to the chancellery. The reasons given are “land difficulties” et “opposition from elected officials” to see closed educational centers or semi-liberty centers built on their territory, according to the Minister of Justice.
Use “exceptional procedures”
“I will make proposals to the Prime Minister so that we can partly make up for this delay but we will not make up for it by 2027“, declared Didier Migaud, announcing the establishment ofa “operation truth“ on the plan 15,000 prison places. The minister also declared that he would make proposals to Parliament to be able to use “exceptional procedures” in order to override local opposition, “when it comes to establishments of national interest“.
As of October 1, 2024, the number of prisoners in France reached a new record with 79,631 people incarcerated against 78,969 the previous month with a prison density at 127.9%. France is among the poor performers in Europe in terms of prison overcrowdingin third position behind Cyprus and Romania, according to a study published in June by the Council of Europe.
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