![pi_fp_francefr_illustration.png](/assets/f1440x800-q70/10040a8b/pi_fp_francefr_illustration.png)
France
Capital city — Paris
Country population
i2022Incarceration rate (per 100,000 inhabit…
i07/2023Type of government
Human Development Index
Homicide rate (per 100,000 inhabitants)
Name of authority in charge of the pris…
Total number of prisoners
i01/01/2023Average length of imprisonment (in mont…
i2021/ Council of Europe, SPACE I – Rapport 2021, p. 123.Prison density
i01/01/2023Total number of prison facilities
i2021/ Prison administrationAn NPM has been established
Female prisoners
i01/01/2023Incarcerated minors
i01/01/2023Percentage of untried prisoners
i01/01/2023Death penalty is abolished
yes, since 1981The last executio…
For more information
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The FARAPEJ: Federation of associations for reflection-action, prison and justice.
• News Chronicles Prison-Justice
• Tip sheets (70 fact sheets on prison and criminal justice, organised by theme)
• Prison Justice magazine, reflections on criminal justice, prison and organisational action.
• FARAPEJ and Carcéropolis: Guide for organisations doing prison-related work (here) (in French only). -
Carcéropolis : Multimedia information portal on prisons (in French only).
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International Prison Observatory - French Section (OIP-SF) and Dedans-Dehors : the OIP-SF blog on Mediapart
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Controller-General for Places of Deprivation of Liberty (CGPL) published her status report for 2018 with Éditions Dalloz. This report was presented during a press conference on 27 March 2019 and is available in bookstores.
• Read the 2018 annual report in its entirety (in French)
• See the photographs of the 2018 annual report (captions in French)
• Read the press kit of the 2018 annual report (in French).
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Ban public: information portal on prisons (in French only).
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Department of Prisons (DAP), Key figures from the prison administration, published 1 January 2018
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La Cimade, Foreign nationals in prison, in the shadow of the law, 59 pages, 2014
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Criminocorpus, Museum of the History of Justice, Crime and Punishment.
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Union nationale des Fédérations Régionales des Associations de Maisons d’Accueil de familles et proches de personnes détenues (UFRAMA) and Gardercontact a website that provides information and answers questions for teenagers and young adults who want to be in contact with their relative in prison.
Reports¶
- Report of the National Association of Independent Assessors of the Prison Disciplinary Commission (ANAEC)
- Counter-report from FARAPEJ “How to finally end prison overcrowding”
- White Paper on Prison Administration: Contribution of the National Union of Prison Directors (SNDP)
- The report of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT)
- The Executive Summary of the CPT report
Select books (in French)¶
- COMBESSIE Philippe, Sociologie de la prison, éd. La Découverte, coll. Repères, 2009, 128 pages.
- CNCDH, CREDOF, OIP, Défendre en justice la cause des personnes détenues, actes du colloque, éd. La Documentation française, 2014, 264 pages
- DINDO Sarah, Parlons prison en trente questions, éd. La Documentation française, 2015, 96 pages
- FASSIN Didier, L’ombre du monde. Une anthropologie de la condition carcérale, Paris, Seuil, coll. “La couleur des idées”, 2015, 601 pages
- FASSIN Didier, Punir, une passion contemporaine, Paris, Seuil, 2017, 208 pages
- NOËL Étienne et SANSON Manuel, Aux côtés des détenus. Un avocat contre l’État, éd. François Bourrin Éditeur, 190 pages, 2013.
- Observatoire International des Prisons, Passés par la case prison, éd. La Découverte, 2014, 208 pages
- Observatoire International des Prisons, Le guide du prisonnier, OIP-SF, éd. La Découverte, 2012, 704 pages
- THONNELIER-LEMAITRE Francine, On m’appelle la mule. Paroles libres de femmes en prison, éd. Chronique sociale, coll. Comprendre les personnes, 2015, 143 pages.
- TIGNOUS, Murs… Murs. La vie plus forte que les barreaux, éd. Glénat, 2015, 152 pages.
Documentaries and audio material¶
- DROLC Nicolas et LIVROZET Serge, Sur les toits, 90 minutes, 2013.
- FERRAN Nicolas et GAUTIER Samuel, À l’air libre, 80 minutes, 2016.
- MERCURIO Stéphane, À l’ombre de la République, 100 minutes, 2011.
- RECHARD Catherine, Le déménagement, 2012.
- La Revue sonore, Le son de l’intérieur. Ten sound photographs from Les Baumettes prison.
- Des nouvelles des prisons: que se passe-t-il derrière les barreaux ? 7 milliards de voisins program aired on RFI.