France Experiences Record Prison Overcrowding with 78,969 Inmates
France has set a new record for prison overcrowding, with 78,969 individuals incarcerated as of September 1, surpassing last month's figure of 78,397. This alarming statistic, released by the Ministry of Justice on September 30, highlights the ongoing crisis within the French penal system. The previous record was 78,509 inmates recorded on July 1, marking a troubling trend of increasing incarceration rates.
Among the current prison population, 3,609 inmates are forced to sleep on mattresses on the floor due to a lack of space, an increase from 2,361 a year earlier. French prisons currently have only 62,014 operational places available, resulting in an overall prison density of 127.3%. The situation is even more dire in remand centers, where the density soars to 153.6%, and in 17 establishments, it exceeds 200%.
In total, there are 94,906 individuals in custody, including 20,563 defendants awaiting their final judgment and 15,937 non-detainees under electronic monitoring or external placement. This places France among the worst performers in Europe regarding prison overcrowding, ranking third behind Cyprus and Romania, according to a June report from the Council of Europe.
Despite attempts to address this issue—such as the prohibition of prison sentences shorter than one month, adjustments to sentencing, and the promotion of community service—these measures have proven inadequate. The previous government had also pledged to construct 18,000 new prison places by 2027 to alleviate the overcrowding crisis, but this goal now appears outdated and unlikely to resolve the underlying issues.
