France prison overcrowding crisis

In early July 2026 France recorded 88,829 inmates, an occupancy of 140.5 %. By the end of the month the count rose to 89,446, a 5.3 % year‑on‑year increase, pushing overall occupancy to 141.3 % and density in remand houses to 174.5 %. More than 7,800 mattresses are now placed on the floor. The Council of Europe, which warned in January that French prisons were becoming a “human warehouse”, reiterated concerns about unsanitary conditions and violence. Inspector Dominique Simonnot criticised the lack of a national‑scale response and noted that only about one‑third of the 15,000 extra places pledged in the 2018 plan have been delivered. The Justice Ministry still plans to add 3,000 modular cells, with half potentially ready by 2027.

New developments at the end of July show the situation worsening: the floor‑level mattress count rose to about 7,900, a 35 % increase in a year. In Amiens the detention centre is holding 631 inmates in a space built for 268 (240 % occupancy). Prison staff staged a strike on 31 July, joined by deputy François Ruffin, while Lyon announced the non‑renewal of roughly fifteen contracts, deepening staffing shortages. France now ranks among the highest‑density prison systems in Europe, tied with Turkey, with acute pressure in Mayotte’s Majicavo centre and prisons such as Puy‑en‑Velay and Lyon‑Corbas. Unions continue to call for staffing reforms.