The prison service in France

1-Organisation

The prison service, which has been under the control of the Minister of Justice since 1911, is one of the ten departments of the Ministry of Justice. Its director is named by decree issued by the president of the Republic after being nominated by the Minister of justice. It is composed of a Central Headquarters and decentralised services : regional directorates, prison institutions and rehabilitation and probation penitentiary services.

Prison institutions
These are divided into two major categories : remand prisons and prisons.

Remand prisons
These receive remand prisoners i.e. inmates awaiting trial as well as those convicted whose remaining sentence does not exceed one year at the time of their convictions. There is at least one remand prison in each administrative department of France.

Prisons
These are divided into top-securaty prisons,reintegration-oriented centres and open prisons. Those sentenced to long terms of imprisonment and high risk inmates are sent to top-security prisons.
Those whose sentences are shorter or who show definite potential for social rehabilitation are placed in reintegration-oriented centres.
Convicted persons given sentences involving day release may have employment, follow a course of study or a training programme outside prison. Once their daily activity is over, they must return to the open prison to which they are assigned. There are now more than 50.000 persons in custody. This number has doubled over the past 40 years. In addition, the last decade has been marked by an increase in the length of detention mainly due to longer sentences.

186 prison institutions on 1st January 2000
· Remand prisons : 118
· Prisons : 55
Reintegration-oriented centres : 25
Penitentiary centres : 24
(9 with top-security units, 8 with reintegration-oriented centre units, 15 with regional reintegration-oriented units)
Top-security prisons : 6
· Open prisons (for the day release programme) : 13
· National public hospital (Fresnes) : 1
It provides care for inmates requiring hospitalisation for physiological reasons.

Non custodial sector
Alternative measures to imprisonment are an approach aimed towards making the offender aware of his responsibilities. Persons following this regime are placed under the control of the special judge for the implementation and supervision of sanctions.
Upon his request offenders are followed up by a rehabilitation and probation penitentiary service, either directly from judgement or after a period of imprisonment has been served. The Prison Service had 135 020 persons under its supervision in the non-custodial sector at 1st January 2000.

2-Objectives

As part of its contribution towards public safety, the Prison Service takes on a dual role : the supervision of individuals sentenced by the courts and the preparation of their reintegration back into the community.

The Prison Service takes charge of individuals sentenced by the courts. The measures decided on may begin prior to or after sentencing and are served either in the custodial sector in one of the prison institutions, or in the non-custodial sector with or without pre-trial detention.

In participation with the public and private sector services, the Prison Service offers reintegration programs for inmates and individuals supervised by the probation and rehabilitation penitentiary services : housing, employment, healthcare, etc. in the custodial sector these programs help inmates who are preparing for release and finding their way back into society. In the non-custodial sector, welfare and educational personnel provide individuals with supervision, guidance and orientation towards competent organisations which suit their needs.
According to the law of 22nd of June 1987, “The Prison Service plays a role in the enforcement of judgements and sentencing as well as in the maintenance of public safety. It facilitates the social reintegration of those sentenced by the courts, and, it is organised so as to ensure the individualisation of sentencing.”
Penal legislation has provided for individualised sentencing in both the custodial and non-custodial sectors : the sentence takes into consideration the personality, behaviour and the capacity for reintegration of each convicted person. As a result of this, judges for the implementation of sentences decide upon various measures assisted by prison service security and reintegration staff. These measure include : parole, outside visits, reduced sentences, day release, external placement and soon, electronic monitoring. In edition, a pilot scheme sentence serving programme has been developed in prisons for sentenced inmates. Its goal is to give inmates more responsibilities while being supervised by personnel.

3-Construction of new prisons

The programme “13000”
In 1987, a programme was established to reduce prison overpopulation. Its goal was to create 13000 new individual prison places. 25 new institutions have been built throughout Metropolitan France. 21 of these institutions run by means of dual management : the Prison Service staff carry out public service duties (supervision, rehabilitation, registration and management), and oversee the functions delegated to private companies (maintenance, transportation, accommodation, food service, health services, work and vocational training).

A new programme of construction
A programme for the construction of new prisons will lead to the modernisation of the penitentiary institution by shutting old existing units and by providing an response to a qualitative need. Priority is given to the quality of the setting for life in detention (principle of individual cell with sanitary unit including shower). The objective is also to give more value to the social and educational activities. Staff working conditions will be improved by installing an active security system which gives priority to the contact between staff and prisoners and develops teamwork.
Eleven penitentiary establishments have been planned, eight in metropolis, one in La Reunion Island, on in Basse-Terre and one which one did not choose the site, either remand prisons or penitentiary centres which will incorporate wings for male, female and adolescent inmates. The first part of the construction programme will begin in the year 2001, the second part the following year and a third part in 2003-2004.
Moreover, renovation projects of the five biggest prisons are being prepared.
And last but not least, penitentiary housing stock as a whole will be progressively modernised next years.

version française