Prison occupancy rate in France approaches 130% in December

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) – The prison occupancy rate in France, which continues to be a topic of concern due to poor conditions, reached 129.5% as of December.

The occupancy rate in prisons is increasing every month, with nearly 81,000 detainees and prisoners currently held in facilities designed for 62,000 people nationwide, French radio RFI reported on Thursday.

According to the French Justice Ministry's data from last month, the prison occupancy rate stood at 129.5%. In 15 prisons, where living conditions are particularly poor, occupancy rates approach 200%.

Due to overcrowding, more than 4,000 detainees are forced to sleep on mattresses placed directly on the floor.

In France, Gerald Darmanin, who was appointed as the Minister of Justice in the new Francois Bayrou government, signaled that reforms would be introduced to address the issue of overcrowding in prisons.

As part of these reforms, Darmanin announced plans to build new, local prisons for offenders sentenced to short prison terms.