75,677 were detained in France as of December 1, a new record

Over the months, this record continues to explode. The number of prisoners in France reached a new level on December 1, with 75,677 people incarcerated compared to 75,130 the previous month, according to figures published Friday December 29 by the Ministry of Justice. This figure is the highest ever recorded in the country, according to prison administration statistics.

While French prisons had 61,359 operational places on December 1, the overall prison density stood at 123.3%. In remand centers, where detainees awaiting trial, and therefore presumed innocent, as well as those sentenced to short sentences are incarcerated, the occupancy rate is 148.5%. It reaches or even exceeds 200% in 11 establishments.

In total, 17,506 detained people are in excess of the places available in French prisons. Due to this overcrowding, 2,748 detainees are forced to sleep on a mattress placed on the floor. There were 2,133 in this case a year ago. Faced with this scourge, which earned France a new condemnation from the European Court of Human Rights in July, the government is counting on the construction of 15,000 new prison places by 2027.