Prison overcrowding, conditions of detention… The prison environment among the burning issues of Gérald Darmanin at the Ministry of Justice

Last month, the number of prisoners in France broke a new record with more than 80,000 people in prison for 62,000 places.

The day after his installation at Place Vendôme, Gérald Darmanin made his first outing as Keeper of the Seals on Wednesday December 25, to the Amiens court in the Somme then to a prison in the Oise. If the magistrates showed their circumspection when they learned the name of their new minister, the stakes are also very high in the prison world with, in particular, the question of prison overpopulation.

Last month, the number of prisoners in France broke a new record: more than 80,000 people in prison, for 62,000 places. In some remand centers, there are twice as many prisoners as the normal reception capacity. Mattresses often have to be placed on the floor.

In 2017, Emmanuel Macron announced the construction of 15,000 new prison places in 2027. We will be far from it. At best, the objective will be met at 40%, announced the outgoing Minister of Justice, Didier Migaud. For the moment, Gérald Darmanin has not commented on these detention conditions, which have been condemned several times by the European Court of Human Rights.

The new Minister of Justice, on the other hand, affirmed his support for the supervisors, which is the meaning of his visit on this Christmas Day. Supervisors mourning the assassination of two of their own, 6 months ago during the escape of Mohamed Amra – still untraceable, also marked by the arrest of two men at the beginning of the month in Marseille, suspected of having wanted attack the director of Baumettes prison as well as a detention manager.