How they sit in French prisons (12 photos)

We usually associate France with croissants, comedies and other French buns. However, there are also quite a few police and prisons here, you know.





A cell in a French prison

So, sometimes ancient buildings are chosen for prisons in France: fortresses or even monasteries. Often very dilapidated. However, there are also modern ones specially built, like this one in Paris.



One of the largest prisons in Europe, Fleury-Mérogis, is located in France.





Previously, French prison cells were strictly for one person at a time. However, now they cram several people in at once - prisons are overcrowded. Sometimes by as much as 200 percent! To the point that some prisoners are forced to sleep right on the floor in their cells.

The most common article under which the French are imprisoned is theft.



It is interesting that there are relatively few women in French prisons - no more than 3% of the total number of all prisoners in the country. There are few separate women's prisons - madams and mademazelles are usually placed in special blocks of institutions to serve their sentences.

But almost half of the prisoners are young - under 30 years old. A quarter are foreigners from Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe.

Interesting fact: a prisoner in a French prison can choose who to sit in the same cell with. For example, a non-smoker will never be sent to smokers. An Arab will always sit with Arabs, a Serb will be seated with other Serbs.



A prison police officer on morning rounds

For a violation, you can easily get up to 45 days in a punishment cell - a cell with one mattress on a bare floor. Because they don't stand on ceremony with screw-ups here.



Inmates in French prisons eat three times a day. Often right in their cells. Food is sent to prisoners in special containers - you just need to heat it up later. And yes - only plastic forks and spoons. They eat first, second, cutlets, grill, couscous, sausages, fish, dessert and even fruit. You can choose a Muslim menu (without pork) or even a vegetarian one (without meat at all).



On a walk in a French prison

Inmates receive maintenance at the rate of 100 euros per day. And yes, prison TVs are installed in the cells - but only if the prisoners can pay a special fee for them. A refrigerator in the cell is also paid for separately. Prisoners can also ask for a TV or refrigerator from relatives on the outside. You can also buy a music center - then enjoy the music.



Three days a week - baths. Although due to overcrowding, local souls simply do not have time to provide their services to prisoners so often. There are local priests: a mullah or a Catholic padre, a Protestant priest.

Prisoners can practice many sports in the prison hall. For example, even martial arts, judo, boxing, karate.



You can call from French prisons as much as you want and anywhere you want. But only from special payphones located on each floor. All conversations are recorded - for threats or insults to the interlocutor, you can lose the right to call for a long time.



French prisons have some pretty fancy grocery stores. You can even buy crabs here - gorge yourself like the scaly-faced ... Working in the utility block, in the canteen or delivering food around the floor is not considered shameful for an inmate.

There are no concepts or castes, no unspoken internal rules, in French prisons. As well as, for example, no special criminal tattoos. But prisoners are grouped into gangs by country - Parisians, Marseilles, Corsicans, Arabs, Serbs and so on.

Fights and mass clashes in French prisons are commonplace. Guards in French prisons are usually civilians, a kind of service staff. They simply cannot keep an eye on all the rowdy prisoners. Moreover, after 7:00 pm they have limited access to their cells and do not have the right to disturb their prisoners unnecessarily.