Overview

• Prison occupancy hit a record 133% capacity as of April 1, 2025, driving the urgent modular expansion plan.
• The Ministry of Justice selected 17 locations nationwide, including Brest, Lorient, Sequedin, Maubeuge, Mont-de-Marsan and Villeneuve-sur-Lot.
• Off-site fabrication will reduce construction time from seven years to 18 months and halve the cost per place to €200,000.
• The first 50-bed modular facility is scheduled to open in autumn 2026 at Troyes-Lavau, with 1,500 new places due by 2027.
• A second call for tenders for an additional 1,500 modular beds will be launched in the coming days to further ease overcrowding.