The delegation visited four large prison establishments experiencing severe challenges linked to overcrowding. The treatment, material conditions and regime applied to remand and sentenced persons were examined in these establishments. Particular attention was also paid to the situation of women and minors held in these prisons, while a targeted visit was also carried out to an establishment for minors.
14 law enforcement establishments were also visited, in particular to assess the treatment of persons apprehended by the law enforcement authorities, the material conditions of detention and the respect of procedural rights.
The delegation met with senior officials from the Ministries of the Interior, Justice and Health. In addition, the delegation met Dominique Simonnot, General Controller of Places of Deprivation of Liberty (National Preventive Mechanism), Claire Hédon, Defender of Rights (Ombudsperson) and Jean-Marie Burguburu, President of the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights, as well as representatives of non-governmental organisations.
The delegation was composed of Hans Wolff, 1st Vice-President of the CPT (Head of delegation), Vanessa Durich Moulet, Nico Hirsch, Helena Papa, Kristina Pardalos and Elisabetta Zamparutti, members of the Committee; Julien Attuil-Kayser and Kelly Sipp, of the CPT Secretariat; along with two experts, Teresa Salamone, prison doctor (Switzerland) and Nguyen-Toan Tran, doctor and university professor (Switzerland).
At the end of the visit, the delegation shared its preliminary observations with the French authorities.
The report following this visit is expected to be adopted by the CPT in March 2025 and subsequently communicated to the French authorities, with recommendations aimed at improving the situation for persons deprived of their liberty.
The delegation visited the following places of deprivation of liberty:
Law enforcement establishments
- Drancy Police Headquarters
- Marseille Departmental Police Headquarters
- Police Headquarters, 1st administrative district, Marseille
- Police Headquarters, 8th administrative district, Marseille
- Police Headquarters, 10th administrative district, Marseille
- Police Headquarters, 12th administrative district, Marseille
- Police Headquarters, 15th administrative district, Marseille
- Les Lilas Police Headquarters
- Police Headquarters, 5th and 6th administrative districts, Paris
- Police Station, 16th administrative district, Paris
- Police Headquarters, 17th administrative district, Paris
- Belleville-en-Beaujolais Gendarmerie Brigade
- Marseille Departmental Gendarmerie Brigade
- Thoissey Gendarmerie Brigade
Prisons
- Fleury-Mérogis Prison
- Fresnes Prison
- Marseille Prison – Les Baumettes
- Villefranche-sur-Saône Prison
- Establishment for minors, Marseille – la Valentine
Justice Facilities
- Marseille Court detention facilities
