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France

Capital city — Paris

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Panorama

Living conditions

Accommodation

The law establishes a minimum standard for living space per prisoner

yes

A 1987 memorandum states that a cell with a surface area less than or equal to 9m² may accommodate one person; a cell of 9-11m², two people; and a cell of 11-14m², three people.

Prisoners are accommodated in single cells

in most establishments

The law has provided for the right to individual confinement since 1875, with this right being reaffirmed in 2000. Exceptions are possible if the person concerned so requests (Penitentiary Code, article L. 213-5).
Moratoriums have followed, with the expectation that the number of places available will be sufficient for the number of prisoners to be housed. On 27 October 2022, the National Assembly approved an amendment to defer the implementation of an individual cell policy by an additional five years. This moratorium was set to end on 31 December 2022 but could now be extended until 31 December 2027.
Individual confinement is the norm in prisons, with the exception of those overseas. However, it is not the norm in detention centres, which house the majority of the incarcerated population. A parliamentary enquiry commission reported that only 43% of the prison population benefits from individual cells.There may be three people placed in a single cell, and four in a double cell. Judges, parliamentarians and prison administrators still tolerate the placement of several people in one cell. New facilities, which are supposed to guarantee individual confinement, do not do so.

Prisoners sleep on

a bed or a mattress on the floor

Overpopulation is such that not all inmates have beds.

All the prisoners are provided with bedding

yes

The cells/dormitories are provided with electric lighting

yes

The cells/dormitories are equipped with heating and/or air conditioning

yes

Temperature control systems are not always adapted to the current climate, as is often the case in winter and summer.
Heat waves are having a major impact on prisons.
One of the measures taken during the summer of 2022 at the Poitiers-Vivonne prison was to wake up vulnerable persons every two hours. Prison officers carried out rounds in the disciplinary section and in ordinary detention. They would turn on the lights in the cells and ask the prisoners to move. This treatment is considered inhuman and degrading by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT). During the same period, some inmates at the Baumettes prison broke the “anti-noise” windows to compensate for the high temperatures inside the cells and allow for air circulation. This prompted disciplinary action.
Prisoners say they are suffering from the cold. Several contacted the French branch of the International Prison Observatory (OIP-SF) in 2023. One woman at Fleury-Mérogis reported that “it’s colder in the cell than outside.” At Lutterbach, a prisoner says, “It’s so cold that if I melt butter in a frying pan, it becomes solid again in 1 minute and 45 seconds.” The OIP-SF published a statement on the issue, concluding that “many prisoners will spend the winter shivering in their cells.”

Prisoners can smoke

in their cell

Cells are usually equipped with one bed, one chair and one shelf or cupboard per person. A small table is shared among cellmates. Cellmates complain that the cupboards do not lock. Everybody complains about the grating that blocks the windows. There is often a lack of ventilation and light in the cells of older facilities.

Hygiene

Prisoners have access to water

in their cells

All cells contain a sink and toilet.

Showers are located in the cells/dormitories

in some establishments

Facilities built since the 1990s usually have a shower in the cell. The sanitary block has a partition wall.

When they do not have a shower in their cell, prisoners have access to the showers three times per week.

Types of sanitary facilities

regular toilets

Sanitary facilities are clean, adequate and accessible

yes

Toilets are located inside of cells; their upkeep is the responsibility of the occupant.

The prison service provides personal hygiene products free of charge

• for new arrivals
• for poor prisoners

A kit containing personal hygiene products (toilet paper, toothpaste, soap, etc.) is provided upon arrival. It does not cover all needs (notably feminine hygiene products) and is only replenished for destitute prisoners.

The prison service provides cleaning products free of charge

• for new arrivals
• for poor prisoners

Cleaning products provided by the prison administration do not always cover all needs. The cleaning kit distributed once a month usually includes: a scouring sponge, a 300ml bottle of dishwashing liquid and a 300ml bottle of multi-surface cleaner. A garbage bag is handed out every day and the bins are collected daily without waste sorting.

Beddings are refreshed

yes

It is the responsibility of the administration or a private contractor to wash bedding.

The administration does not provide clothing. Inmates are not required to wear prison-issued clothing. Indigent prisoners are given lockers. The washing of personal belongings is the responsibility of inmates or their loved ones. The exchange of personal belongings for laundering takes place during visiting hours.

The cleaning of individual cells is the responsibility of the occupants. The maintenance of premises and communal areas is a service provided by paid inmates.Maintenance is often lacking. The proliferation of rats and bedbugs is a recurring problem. Collective showers are deteriorating and often dirty.Older facilities do not meet the minimum requirements despite the renovations undertaken. Hygiene in newer facilities is usually considered adequate.
The people incarcerated at Nantes Prison are exposed to “major risks” from asbestos and the prison’s unsanitary conditions. One report published in 2023 notes an abundance of waste, the presence of rats, and leaks. It reminds readers that the facility has received unfavourable opinions since 2008 relating to its continued operation, an opinion “regularly reiterated” by the local subcommittee to protect against the risks of fire and panic.
Rouen Prison was criticised the same year for its problematic health and security conditions. The facility’s deterioration has resulted in the closing of 45 cells (90 spaces). Several staff unions sent an open letter to the head of the prison service. They mentioned a collapsing shower ceiling, wastewater that does not drain, and crumbling walls. They consider conditions to be “unhealthy and unacceptable”. The facility’s director claims to share the opinion of the unions.

Food

Drinking water is free and available in all areas of the facilities

yes

Number of meals per day

3

The administration provides three meals a day, at the usual times.

Daily cost of meals per prisoner

3.10 euros

($3.43)

Food services are managed by

the prison administration and private food services

The prison service is required to meet nutritional standards regarding quality and quantity

yes

Nutritionists in each facility create the menus and determine the portions of food served. The quality and quantity of meals vary from facility to facility. Portions are often considered insufficient.

The prison service provides food that respects special dietary needs

yes

Cultural, religious and dietary practices are generally taken into account, but are sometimes considered insufficient. The absence of halal products is the reason a large number of vegetarian menus are served.

Prisoners eat their meals in

in their cell

Prisoners can buy food products

yes

The prices of certain products skyrocketed in the prisons of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region following a change in the private contractor in charge of the commissaries. The price of coffee, for example, increased by 255%. The International Prison Observatory - French Section (OIP-SF) considers that inflation alone does not justify such an increase.

Prisoners can have access to a refrigerator

yes

by renting

Prisoners are allowed to cook in their cells or in a shared space

in most facilities

Newer prisons have hotplates. People incarcerated in older facilities cook in their cells, with or without permission, using utensils they have made themselves.

Prisoners are allowed to receive food parcels

no

During the Christmas holiday season, everyone is allowed to receive one package with a maximum weight of five kilogrammes; its content is regulated.

Part of the prisoner's food is produced by the prison

no