The International Prison Observatory calls on the government “to publish the real figures” of prison overcrowding

“The Ministry of Justice consciously publishes occupancy rates that are largely underestimated,” estimated the International Prison Observatory on Thursday.

The International Prison Observatory calls on the government “to publish the real figures” of prison overcrowding in a press release released Thursday, May 30, while French prisons have never accommodated so many prisoners. According to the latest figures published in April by the Ministry of Justice, 77,450 prisoners are incarcerated, an unprecedented level in France.

But according to the International Prison Observatory, “the Ministry of Justice consciously publishes largely underestimated occupancy rates”. For the third consecutive year, the OIP carried out a recalculation based on data as of January 1 published by the prison administration. “The already distressing situation in many overcrowded prison areas is even worse than what the government agrees to make public”notes the Observatory. “The real occupancy rates of the areas dedicated to male prisoners on January 1, 2024 are higher by 1 to 10 points in 48 prison areas, by 10 to 20 points in 33 prisons, by 20 to 40 in 25, and by more than 40 points in 9 of them”, is written in the press release.

The International Prison Observatory cites the example of the Perpignan prison in which “the occupancy rate jumps from 201 to 259% when data relating to women, children and semi-release are excluded”. At Lons-le-Saunier prison, “the simple withdrawal of data relating to semi-release leads to an explosion in the occupancy rate of the remand center area dedicated to male prisoners from 203.3% to more than 280%”, still quotes the press release. The situation is also “dramatic” in terms of number of prison districts “more than 200% occupied”.

“Faced with the seriousness of these findings and their consequences on the most fundamental rights of detained persons, the OIP cannot be satisfied with the statistical secrecy opposed by the Ministry of Justice to refuse the monthly publication of the number of persons detained in the men’s quarters of remand centers as well as the occupancy rates of these quarters”estimates the International Prison Observatory. “It is more necessary than ever that the authorities agree to be transparent on a subject of general interest so that they publicly, alongside all the players in the penal and prison system and public opinion, take the fair measure of the urgency of the situation in French prisons“, she adds.

The National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH) in its recent opinion of May 23 had already pointed out “data published monthly by the prison administration”. According to her, this data “concern averages by type of neighborhood (retention center or detention center in particular), without distinction, in terms of number of places, between those dedicated to men, women, minors and, in certain cases, semi-residential -freedom”.