France proposes to charge inmates for time in prison

(MENAFN) French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has proposed reinstating a policy requiring prisoners to help cover the costs of their incarceration, as part of broader efforts to address rising violence across the country. This initiative follows a series of coordinated attacks targeting prisons and correctional officers in April.

In an interview with TF1, Darmanin confirmed plans to push for legal changes that would support a bill introduced in the National Assembly in March. The justice ministry estimates that the French prison system costs the state around €4 billion annually. Darmanin argued that there is historical precedent for such a measure, noting that inmates were required to contribute to incarceration expenses until 2003. He compared it to the healthcare system, where patients pay a fixed hospital fee.

The proposal comes in the wake of a wave of violent incidents in which at least ten prisons were targeted over five nights by assailants using automatic weapons. Authorities believe the attacks, which led to the deployment of nearly 200 investigators and the arrest of 25 suspects, were orchestrated by drug traffickers retaliating against government crackdowns on gang operations inside prisons.

Darmanin, alongside Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, emphasized that these acts of violence are part of a larger problem involving organized crime networks operating from within the prison system. Darmanin also shared an open letter on social media reaffirming his commitment to safeguarding correctional officers, announcing new measures to protect their identities and ensure their safety.

Responsibility for the prison assaults was claimed by a group calling itself the Defense of the Rights of French Prisoners (DDPF), which has spread threats and propaganda through Telegram.

At the same time, France’s prison system remains under scrutiny by the European Court of Human Rights, which has repeatedly condemned its conditions, citing overcrowding and substandard living environments. Despite these rulings, systemic issues reportedly persist across many facilities.

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