Water cut off at night in the disciplinary unit of the Toulon penitentiary center, denounces the International Prison Observatory

The water has been cut off since June 27 in the disciplinary unit of the Toulon-La Farlède penitentiary center in the Var, between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., alerts the International Prison Observatory (OIP), in a press release published Wednesday October 9. A “retaliatory measure”according to the OIP, taken by management “following flooding caused by ‘one or more inmates from the disciplinary unit’ having deliberately blocked their taps and toilets”. “These floods would have damaged the lower floor, occupied by the health unit”reports the OIP.

According to a detainee interviewed by the OIP, “Mr D.”, “the detainees found guilty of these acts are no longer in the disciplinary unit” and other detainees suffer the consequences. This inmate claims to have no toilets at night “nor a functional water supply”. Still according to this inmate, “each detained person receives a 1.5 bottle of water liter per day, a quantity which remains largely insufficient to meet the needs for drinking and sanitary water during this time slot.

The interregional directorate of prison services in Marseille questioned by the OIP indicates that “these cuts are of a temporary nature”it specifies, according to the OIP, that “work will be undertaken from November 9” in order to “to avoid […] the damage that results from of these floods. The OIP denounces a “situation which continues, aggravating detention conditions which are already significantly more severe than in ordinary detention”. The OIP recalls that each person must be detained “in satisfactory conditions of hygiene and health”.