France Link

French penal reform extends probation to ease jail crowding

Justice minister Christiane Taubira also plans to remove minimum sentence guidelines for repeat offenders, as opposition decry reforms as 'soft'.

La rédaction de Mediapart

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France's government said on Friday it would extend and reinforce the use of probation by law to ease overcrowding in prisons and fight repeat offences, drawing heckles from conservatives who say the move is soft on criminals, repoprts Reuters.

The decision follows recommendations by Justice Minister Christiane Taubira, who is under pressure to ease the strain on a rundown prison system that houses nearly 70,000 inmates in ageing facilities criticised by human rights groups.

The Socialist government is also creating 6,500 new spots in prison, but doing away with minimum sentencing guidelines introduced under former conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy that Taubira says do not deter repeat offenders.

Read more of this report from Reuters.