Overview

• On August 1, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin ordered the immediate cancellation of a week-long therapeutic surf program planned for five inmates from Rennes-Vezin prison.
• The program had been prescribed by the prison’s Service médico-psychologique régional to support detainee reintegration through a mid-September surf week in Saint-Malo.
• UFAP-UNSa Justice union leader Éric Toxé condemned the initiative as irresponsible spending given chronic prison budget strains and operational shortfalls.
• RN deputy Thomas Ménagé criticized the project on Twitter, noting that 40% of French people skip vacations while detainees were set to receive surf therapy.
• The Justice Ministry and the union dispute whether the surf week had been validated by a multidisciplinary commission, highlighting tensions over ministerial doctrine and judicial oversight.