According to official statistics, the number of French detainees remained stable at May 1 after three months of an increase that exceeded the 71,000 mark. On May 1, French prisons housed 71,038 prisoners, compared with 71,053 inmates on April 1.
The country has 60,722 prisons, compared to 107.5% last year.
On March 1, the number of people imprisoned had risen to more than 70,000, a level that was not reached in French prisons since 2002’s health crisis. There were 5,654 additional detainees in one year, which represents an 8.6% increase on the prison population.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Justice 13,985 prisoners are currently overtaking the penitentiary spaces. Prison density rises to 138.9% at remand centres where prisoners in custody awaiting trial are presumed innocent and are sentenced to shorter sentences.
A total of 46 French prisons have a density higher than 150%. Four establishments have a density greater than 200% (225.4% Bordeaux-Gradignan; 214.3% Perpignan; 213.8% Foix, and 208% Nimes). Six were present in this instance a month earlier.
This overcrowding has led to 1,850 prisoners being forced to sleep on the floor on mattresses. On May 1, 2021, they were 850. 19 084 of the detainees are defendants and were imprisoned while they await trial.
On May 1, 86,855 people were sent to prison, including 15,817 nondetainees who are subject to placement under an electronic wrist (15,064) or outside (753).
The percentage of women in prison (3.6%) has increased slightly over April compared with a year ago.
The number of minors in prison (0.8%) is slightly lower than April 1, and has fallen 14.5% over a year.
