France

Overcrowding in French prisons reaches record high

France’s prison population has reached a record total of 72,836, according to official figures released this week by the justice ministry. While the country’s jails are on average overcrowded at a rate of 120% of their official capacity, some are at more than 200% of capacity, and more than 2,000 inmates are forced to sleep on mattresses laid out on cell floors. Michel Deléan reports. 

Michel Deléan

28 December 2022 à 18h55

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Reading articles is for subscribers only. Login

France’s prison population has reached a record high, with a total of 72,836 people recorded behind bars on December 1st, a year-on-year rise of 4.1%, according to monthly statistics published earlier this week by the justice ministry.

1€ for 15 days

Can be canceled online at any time

I subscribe

Only our readers can buy us

Support a 100% independent newspaper: without subsidies, without advertising, without shareholders

Get your information from a trusted source

Get exclusive access to revelations from an investigative journal

Already subscribed ?

Forgot password ?

See Journal’s homepage