“Quick, simple, effective” measures. Barely appointed Keeper of the Seals, Gérald Darmanin launches the first courses of action and tries to make his mark. The incarcerated drug traffickers who continue to give orders and continue their activity from their cell? The new Minister of Justice promises to “clean French prisons” of the 100 most important of them, by placing them in solitary confinement, “as we do for terrorists”.
Not a disciplinary district
In the prison administration, the news seems rather well received. “But we didn’t wait for Gérald Darmanin to arrive to do it. Most of the major drug traffickers are already placed in solitary confinement,” indicates Alexandre Bouquet, national secretary of the National Union of Prison Directors (SNDP). These spaces “isolated” from the rest of the other detention areas generally represent only “five to ten places” per establishment. The detainees that the administration wants to cut off from the outside are therefore sent there. But also those exposed to a risk for their security, who are the subject of threats (in particular the perpetrators of sexual assault). “This is not a neighborhood where inmates benefit from fewer rights than others,” insists the unionist. It should not be confused with the disciplinary district. In solitary confinement, each inmate has access to the same activities, visiting rooms, has a TV, etc. They just can't meet other inmates and are controlled much more. In an isolation unit, there is generally one supervisor for every five to seven prisoners, compared to one for every 110 in normal detention. »
Darmanin promises “unconventional isolation”
But even there, cell phones continue to circulate. This is why Gérald Darmanin promises an isolation that is “not classic”. “For the moment, these neighborhoods are not always fully secure,” confesses Alexandre Bouquet. I imagine that the measure means that detector portals and jammers will specifically be assigned there. »
Is solitary confinement for a long period legal? “It is entirely possible and already provided for in the texts,” confirms the national secretary of the SNDP. Afterwards, even for the biggest criminals, there is also the question of human dignity and the prevention of recidivism to take into account. Perhaps placing an inmate for ten years in solitary confinement, then releasing him, will have its limits…”
“These detainees are gambling with their lives”
Can the measure be effective? “We already seize tens of thousands of phones each year in our prisons,” says another prison administration executive, requesting anonymity. This does not prevent trafficking. There always are and there will always be parades. How do you want these traffickers to react? For them to give up would mean losing an immense source of profits, exposing their network, attracting envy and risking, purely and simply, their physical elimination…”
“They know how to adapt,” agrees Alexandre Bouquet, who fears “a phenomenon of communicating vessels” with, in reaction to this measure, more pressure on prison staff (corruption, threats), and an even greater use of drones delivery men.
